Founding of the THW

The Federal Agency for Technical Relief becomes responsible for disaster relief

Imperial Germany maintained a fire brigade, and the Red Cross gave assistance whenever disaster struck. Otherwise, there was no central organization – apart from the army – that responded to large-scale emergencies. The reduction in the size of the German armed forces mandated by the Treaty of Versailles necessitated the creation of the Technical Emergency Service in 1919 to respond to disasters. Set up by former military personnel, this new organization dealt with labour strikes in utilities like gasworks and waterworks, but its remit was later expanded to include the provision of a technical response to large-scale disasters. During the Second World War, it played a key role in air raid protection. As the war progressed, it was taken over by the SS, which increasingly employed the organization as an auxiliary police force in the campaign against resistance groups. Having been compromised in this way, the Technical Emergency Service was disbanded by the Allies in 1945.

On 22 August 1950, the Technische Hilfswerk (Technical Relief Service), or “THW”, was re-established as a federal agency with both full-time employees and volunteers. Its remit was clarified by laws passed in 1990 and 2020. Subordinate to the Ministry of the Interior, the THW is intended to provide the government with technical assistance in the event of disasters, including during wartime. When deployed abroad, the THW acts as Germany’s humanitarian “ambassador” and provides assistance in natural disasters. When deployed in UN missions, the THW contributes to peacekeeping campaigns and infrastructure development programmes.