This article concerns itself with the development of the social legislation in Germany

Origins of the social security

The job-specific utility systems of the guilds and Gilden of the mining industry are to be seen as the forerunners of the today's social security.

German Reich

National systems originated in in the German Reich only at the end 19. Century.

Imperial message 17 November 1881

Because of the increasing influence of the social-democracy emperor Wilhelm I. on recommending realm chancellor Otto von Bismarck saw himself compelled to speak its view Reichstag is laws to the protection of the workers against illness, accident, disablement and age to decide. It sent therefore for the opening of the German realm Reich on 17 November 1881 the following message decreasing/going back on Bismarck:

We William, of God grace of German emperors, king of Prussia etc., thun kund and add hereby to know:

"…

Already in February D. J. we let express our conviction that the healing of the social damage will be to search not exclusively in the way of the repression of social-democratic excesses, but even on that the positive promotion of the well-being of the workers. To put we hold it for our imperial obligation, realm days this task again to heart, and became we along all the larger satisfaction on all successes to leave, with which God our government gesegnet obviously, look back, if it us succeeded to carry forward that once consciousness which father country new and continuing endorsements of its internal peace and the needy one larger security and productivity of the assistance, on which they have requirement. In our efforts directed toward it we are certain the agreement of all allied governments and trust in the support of the realm daily alike the party positions.

In this sense first the draft of a law over the insurance of the workers, submitted by the allied governments in the previous session, is submitted of a re-writing against industrial accidents out of consideration on the realm days had negotiations over the same, in order to prepare the renewed Berathung of the same. Supplementing a collecting main will step it to the side, which places itself an even organization of the commercial health insurance company nature to the task. In addition, those, which become disabled by age or disablement, to have the Gesammtheit in relation to justified requirement on a higher measure of national welfare service, than them so far zutheil could become.

For this welfare service the right means and ways to find, is a difficult, in addition, one of the highest tasks of each community, which stands on the moral foundations of the Christian people life. The closer connection to the material forces of this people life and summarizing the latter cooperatives under national protection and national promotion, korporativer in the form, will make, as we hope, the solution possible also by tasks, to which the government authority would not have been up to alone to same extent. Nevertheless however the goal will not also in this way have to be reached without the expenditure of substantial means.

In the following parliamentary sessions Reichstag different laws decided to the social safety device.

Health insurance law 1883 (legal health insurance = GKV)

Concerning the law the health insurance of the workers (KGV) was decided on 15 June 1883 of Reichstag and came into force starting from 1 December 1884. For the insured ones the following achievements were introduced:

• Sickpay starting from that 3. Day, 50 per cent up to 26 weeks
• medical treatment, medicine and aid
• Hospital treatment
• Death benefit
• (maternity assistance)

The contributions carried the employer to 1/3 and employee to 2/3. For both payments a contribution assessment limit was specified. Carriers became those

• Local health insurance companies (OK ONE),
• Guild's health insurance funds (IKK),
• Municipality health insurance companies,
• Auxiliary health insurance companies,
• Staff sickness funds and
• Building health insurance companies.

Accident insurance law 1885 (legal accident insurance = GUV)

The accident insurance law on 6 July 1884 decided of Reichstag came into force starting from 1 October 1885. For the insured ones the following achievements were introduced:

• Accident benefits starting from the 14. Week (earnings dependent)
• Medical welfare treatment
• Accident prevention: Burden of proof of the had an accident one was void

The employer paid the contributions to 100 per cent. Carriers became the commercial ones, build, lake, country and forest-economical professional associations

Disablement and age safety device 1889 (legal old age pension insurance = GRV)

Concerning the law the disablement and old-age pension on 22 June 1889 of Reichstag was decided and came into force starting from 1 January 1891. the following achievements was specified:

• Transition money during medical welfare treatment
• Old-age pensions starting from that 70. Lebensjahr
• Disability pensions

The contributions came in equal parts from employer and employee. Additionally there was a realm subsidy. Carriers became regional insurance offices for workers (see also: National insurance office).

Realm insurance regulations (RVO)

On 19 June 1911 the Reich Insurance Code (RVO) was adopted, which regulated from 1914 into the years 1991/1992 mainly the German social security and in the meantime in the social legislation is come up as far as possible. In it the earlier laws were summarized and developed further. The most important innovation covered the introduction of the survivor's pensions. The conditions for an achievement were either the disablement of the widow or the needyness of the widower. Besides the auxiliary health insurance companies had to request a permission as private health insurance fund and to show in addition at least 1,000 Versicherte.

In addition it came that in the year 1911 the employee insurance (AnV) was created. Afterwards employees received an old-age pension starting from that to 65. Lebensjahr and its widows - without consideration for their ability to work and its age - 40 per cent of the old-age pension of her deceased spouse. The employees were at that time their own social group between the workers and the officials!

Weimar Republic

• 1921 to 1923 - by the monetary depreciation of 1921 the German old age pension insurance lost nearly its entire fortune.
• 16. July 1927 - Law over the employment agency and unemployment insurance (AVAVG) (today: Legal unemployment insurance = ALV) (into force starting from 1 October 1927)

National socialism

• 1936 was allowed to take up the private health insurance funds none voluntarily Versicherte more and transferred these to expenditure-created cooperative insurance companies on mutuality. This was the beginning of several enterprises of the private health insurance.
• 1939 introduction craftsmen - supplying - of the law (HVG). This contained the liability to insure for independent craftsmen.
• 1941 was transferred all pensioners to the health insurance and is since then automatically ill-insured - after observations of the SS-security agency this measure caused "“visible satisfaction and large joy"” among the seniors.

See social politics in the national socialism and Aly.

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