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Since its foundation in 1888, ASB has provided ser-
vicesthat focus on people’s needs, including care
for the elderly, rescue services, First Aid, services for
children and young people, support for people with
disabilities and those suffering from mental problems,
as well as foreign aid and adult and further education.
The ASJ, the ASB’s independent youth association,
promotes the social engagement of children and
young people. ASB-Foreign Aid focuses on Emer-
gency Relief and Disaster Risk Reduction as well as
reintegration and cooperation in Central and East-
ern Europe.
Anyone wanting to be involved in voluntary services
will find suitable opportunities at ASB, for example
as part of a civil protection team or as a paramedic,
as a visitor to the elderly or a reading mentor, as a
visiting dog handler or a school nurse.
More than 1.2 million people throughout Germany
share the ASB’s humanitarian and democratic
principlesand support our non-profit association
We help here and now.
ASB is a non-political and non-denominational charity and relief organisation.
We help all people – regardless of their political, ethnic, national and religious
affiliation. We enable people to develop and maintain the greatest possible
degree of self-determination. We providerapid and direct help to all those in
need of our support.
with their membership and their personal commit-
ment, as part of 16 regional associations, more than
200 local branchesand around 120 associated not-
for-profit companies.
What was to become ASB began in 1888 with six
carpentersin Berlin. At a time when there were
neither health and safety regulations nor emergency
rescue services and workers often sustained terrible
injuries, our founding fathers successfully estab-
lished the first “Training Course for First Aid after
an Accident”, in spite of considerable opposition.
In 1909, the first Arbeiter-Samariter-Gruppen (Work-
ersSamaritan Groups) from across Germany formed
the Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund (ASB).
As a relief organisation and charity, ASB also con-
siders itself an advocate for socio-political issues.
ASB takes a position on current debates and is in
contact with members of the Bundestag (lower house
of Germanparliament) and the European Parliament
as well as ministries and other institutions.