The German Survey on Volunteering (FWS) is a representative survey on volunteer work, honorary office and civic engagement of the German population aged 14 and older. The FWS provides a substantial database for the description of volunteering in Germany and allows to report in detail on participation among population groups and across regions. It is the basic instrument for social accounting on volunteering in Germany.

The survey, which  is funded by the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (BMFSFJ), has been conducted in 1999, 2004 and 2009. The data collection for the next wave is planned for 2014. The study is scientifically managed and supervised by the German Center of Gerontology (DZA).

Project Team and Contact

The following staff members from the DZA are involved in the survey (FWS):
Prof. Dr. Clemens Tesch-Römer (principal investigator)
PD. Dr. Andreas Motel-Klingebiel (deputy principal investigator)
Dr. Julia Simonson (project coordinator)
Dr. Jochen P. Ziegelmann (deputy project coordinator)
Dr. Claudia Vogel
Dipl.-Psych. Doreen Müller
Dipl.-Soz. Nicole Schmiade
Daniela Väthjunker
Katharina Lux
Dr. Oliver Huxhold
Dr. Christine Hagen

Research assistants:
Ann-Kristin Beyer
Corinna Kausmann
Johannes Zeiher

Contact Form German Survey on Volunteering