{"id":8344,"date":"2025-10-27T20:04:59","date_gmt":"2025-10-27T18:04:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ymca.md\/?page_id=8344"},"modified":"2025-11-03T12:08:54","modified_gmt":"2025-11-03T10:08:54","slug":"ymca-europe-heritage","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/ymca.md\/en\/about-us\/ymca-europe-heritage\/","title":{"rendered":"YMCA Europe Heritage"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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\"ymcaeurope-slider-109-heritage\"<\/figure><\/div>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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YMCA Europe Heritage<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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YMCAs work in Europe, rooted in a rich heritage, stands as a testament to our wider movement\u2019s legacy of fostering youth development, community engagement, and social impact.<\/p>

Since its start under the World YMCA, European YMCA work has played a pivotal role in shaping the lives of young people, promoting inclusivity, and contributing to the betterment of communities. With a commitment to principles of empowerment, education, and equality, YMCA Europe has continued to evolve, embracing change while staying true to its main purpose and foundational values.<\/p>

The organization\u2019s heritage is a tapestry woven with stories of resilience, unity, and a relentless dedication to building a better, more connected Europe.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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European Area Committee (EAC)<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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The European Area Committee (EAC) started at the 1st European Area Conference in 1949, taking place in Florence, Italy. The Conference was sponsored by the World Alliance of YMCAs.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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In total there were six area conferences
Florence, Italy \u2013 1947
Kassel, Germany \u2013 1953
Aarhus, Denmark \u2013 1957
Thessaloniki, Greece \u2013 1962
Mainau, Germany \u2013 1967
Munich, Germany \u2013 1972<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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The EAC Terms of reference were approved by the World Alliance in 1959 and from 1946-1972 all expenses of the EAC (staff, travel, printing, preparation of conferences) were covered by the World Alliance. In 1972, the World Alliance accepted to participate in the budget of the EAC with an amount of 25,000 Swiss Francs payable over a 2.5 year period.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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The World Alliance of YMCAs employed European Area Secretaries from 1946 right up to 1973:
R. W. Jones 1946-1956 (full-time)
T. Littmarch 1956-1963 (part time\/Mainau)
G. Jansson 1964-1969 (part time\/Mainau)
J.E. Edger 1969-1971 (part time)
J.F Reymond 1971-1973 (part time)<\/p><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Castle Mainau<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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In order to open a \u201cwindow to the world\u201d for young people after the destruction of WWII, Swedish Count Lennart Bernadotte offered meetings and leisure time for young people on Mainau Island.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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This institution developed into the \u201cInternational Institute Castle Mainau\u201d, which began operation in 1949, under the sponsorship of the World Alliance of YMCAs, in a wing of the castle, and offered courses, seminars and workshops on youth issues in various areas.<\/p>

By the time the institute closed at the end of 1968, around 20,000 participants from 40 countries had attended the events at Mainau Palace. The closing meant a substantial sum of money was given\u00a0 to the YMCA as compensation but also conversations started about a new European training center.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>

Doelf Weder (former Secretary General) recounts: \u201cWhen I was around 15 years of age, i.e. in the mid sixties, I attended annual YMCA meetings with international participants at the institute, mostly group leaders, from around Lake Constance. One of our local YMCA St. Gallen film programs, which I ran as a volunteer in 1968, which was shown on Swiss television during the famous `protesting youth times` also took place there.\u201d\u00a0<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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The Early Years<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The European Area Committee established its own secretariat September 1st, 1973 in Kassel, Germany with a full-time Executive Secretary, Mr Egon Slopianka and a half-time office secretary some months later as it entered in a new phase of development.<\/p>

It was of course an attempt to find out ways and means of how to serve the national movements in Europe, at which time there were 18 and included the Polska YMCA with its seat in London and the \u00dcbernationaler * Bund YMCA\/YWCA with its seat in Germany. Other priorities included how to assist the work of the World Alliance in Europe in implementing World Alliance policy, and how to make the European movement a united entity through efforts of cooperation and development.<\/p>

In October 1973 the officers were appointed and for the sake of simplification they were the same as those of the European Area Committee, which included:<\/p>