Foundation Society

In the spring of 1921, a group of idealists came together with a desire to play a role in alleviating the urgent problems of the privation-filled years that followed World War I. In order to organise themselves, they founded the association, „Gemeinschaft der Freunde“ [Society of Friends] on 22 July 1921 in Stuttgart; a Society that aspired to „create accommodation and retirement homes for the general public on a purely charitable, land reform basis“ (§ 1 of the Charter).

Besides the initiator and idea generator – the publicist, naturalist and Good Templar, Georg Kropp – the founding members also included the women’s and peace activist, Mathilde Planck; one of the first female delegates ever elected to Württemberg’s state parliament.