SOS Children's Villages: the foundation of the association 60 years ago at Innsbruck
On 25 April 1949 the "Societas Socialis" was founded by a group of committed young men and women, led by a medical student called Hermann Gmeiner. This was the foundation of the SOS Children's Villages, which have since been active in more than 132 countries worldwide.
To relieve misery in Tyrol after the war, a group of young people first developed the initial concept and vision in 1946/47. It was Hermann Gmeiner, the son of a mountain farmer and a medical student in Alberschwende, Bregenzerwald, and his fellow students Josef Jestl, Ludwig Kögl, Herbert Pfanner and Franz Müller, who came up with the concept. Female activists have played a vital role from the start, in particular Maria Hofer, Herta Troger, Hedwig Weingartner and Helene Didl.
While studying medicine Hermann Gmeiner became increasingly involved in youth work. He became head of youth work for the church district of Innsbruck, and thus came to know about the needs of the many children orphaned by the war. Gmeiner and his fellow campaigners passionately discussed the possibility of offering help in a concrete manner. The founding meeting of the "Societas Socialis" took place on 25th April 1949, in the youth department of the provincial government at the Imperial Palace in Innsbruck. Hermann Gmeiner was voted into the position of "Regens" (Head). He aimed to eliminate the dangers facing unprotected children, and to do so through actions and not just words. This kind of mindset has always been important to Gmeiner: his quote “Reds nit, tuats was!” (Don't talk, do something) has caused the drive behind, and secret of success of, the Children's Villages’ work during the following years and decades.
The following weeks and months Gmeiner and his team developed the concrete concept for the first SOS Children’s village, based on the originally broad objectives of the „Societas Socialis“. Important advocates and partners that Gmeiner was able to get on board included University Professor Vinzenz Neubauer, Vice Governor Josef Anton Mayr and Josef Koch, Mayor of Imst and an orphan himself. Imst was the only community which responded to the initial request for a children's village and thereupon allocated land for such a village at a low price.
Gmeiner started this project with only 600 schillings (the former Austrian currency, now approx. € 44.00). The real financial foundation was laid by Maria Hofer, who donated approximately 50,000 schillings (approximately € 3,640), money she had received from the sale of a property in Igls. This money allowed Gmeiner to buy the land, and to finance the first appeals for funds and advertising campaigns. As he didn't receive any funds from public authorities, Gmeiner contacted people directly and asked them to donate 1 schilling (€ 0.07) per month and, due to his charismatic personality, he effectively succeeded in inspiring people. Gmeiner got his message to the people through flyers, information brochures, personal discussions and initial large-scale appeals for funds. These activities, as well as the money already collected, allowed him to build the first children's village. On 2nd December 1949 the topping-out ceremony for the first SOS Children's Village house ("Freedom" House) took place. On the same day they were able to celebrate the ground-breaking for four more houses. On 28th May 1950, at the general meeting of the "Societas Socialis", the association was integrated into the children's village association. 1951 the first forty war orphans moved into their new homes. In 1952 seven SOS Children's Village mothers were taking care of 64 children, by 1953 there were 95 children at the village, and by 1954 the number had reached 130.
Today, six decades later, the SOS Children's Villages draw a humanitarian ribbon around the world. Gmeiner's inheritance is currently working as a private, religious and politically independent social network in 132 countries around the world, with nearly 500 SOS Children's Villages and more than 1,400 accompanying projects (kindergartens, youth organizations, schools, training and social centres, clinics and first-aid programmes). Currently the SOS Children's Villages and youth organizations provide a stable and permanent home for around 72,000 children and teenagers. Each year more than a million troubled young people and adults from families in severely strained situations benefit from these accompanying projects.
The association is a privately funded social network and therefore has to rely entirely on donations.
In 2008 more than half of the resources of the Children's Villages in Austria were private donations (53.6 percent). Owing to this broad financial aid from many friends and supporters, including private individuals as well as companies, the SOS Children’s Villages were able to effectively and sustainably offer help to young people, and to support families during stressful periods. No matter how often or how much someone is willing to give, every donation helps!
