Verband deutscher Gebirgs- und Wandervereine e.V.

About us

The "Gebirgs- und Wandervereine" (German mountain and hiking clubs) has been existing since the middle of the 19th century in all parts of Germany as a consequence of an increasing consciousness for nature and landscape and due to the analysis of the problems arising from the industrialization. The whole range of hiking from the German hiking tradition up to sporting walking and trekking has its origin in the hiking clubs. Since 1883, the "Verband Deutscher Gebirgs- und Wandervereine e.V." is the union of the mountain, hiking and local history clubs. Today, 57 of these clubs are members of the assoiation. They consist of about 3,500 local groups and approximately 650,000 members.

Hermann Josef Roth, born in Montabaur in 1938, is vice-principal for biology, chemistry and religion and head of the section for biology. In addition to that, he is editor of "Biologie regional", member of the advisory council at the "Oberste Landschaftsbehörde des Landes NRW" (supreme landscape authority of the Land North-Rhine-Westphalia), member of the "Stiftungsrates der Nordrhein-Westfalen-Stiftung für Naturschutz, Heimat- und Kulturpflege" (foundation council of the North-Rhine-Westphalia foundation for nature conservation, care of home and culture) and member of the board of trustees of the "Naturschutzakademie Nordrhein-Westfalen" (academy of nature conservation of North-Rhine-Westphalia), chairman of the "Landesgemeinschaft Naturschutz und Umwelt NRW" (regional community for nature conservation and environment North-Rhine-Westphalia), member of the board of the "Bergischer Naturschutzvereins" (nature conservation association for the hills area to the East of Cologne) and the foundation ÖKOGLOBAL at the "Deutscher Naturschutzring" (German nature conservation circle), member of the advisory council at the "Rheinischer Verein für Denkmalpflege und Landschaftsschutz" (Rhenish association for preservation of historical monuments and landscape protection), founder of the "Rucksackschule Westerwald" (rucksack school of the Westerwald) and "Bundesfachwart" for nature conservation in the association of German mountain and hiking clubs.

We can give expert advice to other net participants in the fields of nature conservation, cultural landscape conservation and the Third World, we can deliver expert opinions, give lectures and communicate up-to-date specialist information and arrange for contacts.