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German Federal Agency for Technical Relief (Germany)

Technisches Hilfswerk / THW

3:5 image by Jens Pattke, 31 July 2001
3:5 image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 14 Feb 2021

Introduction
Brief History
THW Flags
THW Banners
THW Logotype

See also:

Introduction

THW (Technisches Hilfswerk) is the Federal Civil Protection Organisation of Germany. Its statutory tasks include the provision of technical assistance at home and humanitarian aid abroad. Today, more than 40,000 volunteer technicians, engineers and specialists in other fields, as well as roughly 850 full-time employees, work for the federal THW organisation. Together, they form the foundation of the qualified technical assistance provided at home and abroad. THW has 6,000 vehicles of various types at its disposal. The diversity of its units reflect THW's range of operations. For example, there are Technical Groups on the local level which focus on recovery, clearing, electricity supply, water damage / pumps, management / communication, bridge-building, infrastructure, water hazards, location, logistics, drinking water supply and oil damage and last but not least the special elite unit SEEBA (Rapid Deployment Unit Search and Rescue).
Jens Pattke, 31 July 2001

Brief History

The predecessor of the organisation had been Technische Nothilfe (TeNo), which was dissolved in 1945 by the allied occupation powers. It was established in 1919 by Otto Lummitzsch, an officer of the pioneers of the German Army. On 22 August 1950 German Minister of Interior Gustav Heinemann authorised Lummitzsch, to establish a successor named "Ziviler Ordnungsdienst" (civil order service). Preparations began in 1951 and on 20 October 1951 the organisation was officially renamed to "Technisches Hilfswerk" (THW), which had already been the title of an advertising brochure of TeNo before.
Originally the organisation was established in order to suppress strikes. The trading unions therefore refused the organisation, especially as many officials of TeNo remained in high level positions. E.g. Ludwig Röthemeierand Josef Fornoni had even been SS-Brigadeführer before and had been high official of TeNo. The organisation in the following years changed to an effective organisation to prevent disasters of all kinds.
Due to the THW-helpers-rights-act (THW-Helferrechtsgesetz), decided on 20 January 1990, the organisation finally was segregated from the Federal Civil Defense Authority (Bundesamt für Zivilschutz) and became a proper higher-authority (Oberbehörde) under direct control of the Minister of Interior.
Source: German WIKIPEDIA
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 14 Feb 2021

THW Flags

The flags are horizontally striped, dark blue-white-dark blue-white-dark blue (3:3:16:3:3), with the white logo centred (see left image at top) or off-centred (see right image at top) on the broad blue stripe. The logo is made up of a cogwheel and the initials THW .
Jens Pattke, 31 July 2001

THW Banners

1:2 image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 14 Feb 2021
1:2 image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 14 Feb 2021

The banners are vertically striped, dark blue-white-dark blue-white-dark blue (3:3:16:3:3), with the white logo centred (see left image above) or off-centred (see right image above) on the broad blue stripe.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 14 Feb 2021

THW Logotype

The logotype is dark blue displaying a white cogwheel, superimposed by a connected white inscription "THW" for the name (T)echnisches (H)ilfs(W)erk ordered per pale.
Jens Pattke and Klaus-Michael Schneider, 14 Feb 2021

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