The Humanist Association (HV) was founded as early as 1848 and has been a public corporation since 1927. It is a worldview community within the meaning of the German Basic Law. It currently has over 2,100 members and, including its societies, employs over 400 people. Its organizational structure follows the dual management principle. It is represented externally by a full-time executive board, which is also responsible for the management of the corporation. An honorary Presidium, elected by the General Assembly, acts as a supervisory body.
The HV stands for an ethic of humanism and is a member of the European Humanist Federation (EHF) as well as Humanists International, which has advisory votes in the bodies of the UN, UNESCO and the Council of Europe. Secular Humanism includes the right and responsibility of all people to determine their own lives, to develop their personality freely and in social responsibility.
The HV currently operates 20 day care centers, a student dormitory and a private state-approved Humanist elementary school (including after-school care) throughout Germany.
It operates some of these facilities through a subsidiary, Humanist Sozialwerk Bayern gGmbH. The HV is also involved in youth work and in the educational and cultural spheres; in addition, the HV operates a curative youth residential group. In several cities, it has a seat on the children’s and youth welfare committees.
The HV conveys its values and convictions in the school subject „Humanist Education“, which is recognized as a regular subject in the state of Bavaria, for example. For more information on the Humanist Association, visit www.humanistische-vereinigung.de.