The ("Society for the Furtherance of Charitable Activities") is Lübeck's oldest charitable organization.
History It was the preacher at St. Peter's Church, Lübeck (and later lawyer) Ludwig Suhl (1752–1819) and his friends Christian Adolph Overbeck, Johann Julius Walbaum, Anton Diedrich Gütschow, Gottlieb Nicolaus Stolterfoth, Johann Friedrich Petersen, and Nicolaus Heinrich Brehmer who, on 27 January 1789, founded this charity, first of all as a ("literary society") with sidelines of scientific research and education; in 1791 the society's scope was broadened, and in 1793 it acquired the name it still bears today, although it is often abbreviated as the .
The democratically structured and middle class society and its social house (from 1826 at the address Breite Strasse 33, and from 1891 at Königstrasse 5) rapidly became the centre of practical reform work in the spirit of the Enlightenment. The company was involved in the improvement of conditions in many areas of life; for example, it established a River Lifesavers Institute. It was associated with the newspaper Neue Lübeckische Blätter and with the Jung-Lübeck, a Vormärz movement.
It ran the , a credit union, and up to 1934 the Museum of Art and Cultural History. In 1938 their concert, theatre and lecture hall, the Kolosseum, was moved to the Kronsforder Allee.
On its hundredth anniversary in 1889 it received Lübeck's highest honour, the Gedenkmünze Bene Merenti. It is the only incorporated society to win this award. Eight former directors were given medals.
Present The society has numerous subsidiary societies and unions, which contribute to the cultural and social life of the city. For example, it found a home for the St. Mary's Boys' Choir on the premises of the society in the Bürgergärten. As a trustee it manages a large number of dependent organisations, such as the Ferdinand Heinrich Grautoff-Stiftung.
Directors of the society Name Incumbency Ratslinie Notes PortraitLudwig Suhl (1752–1819)1789–1790Founder; archdeacon at St. Peter's Church, Lübeck, founded the society at his home Großen Petersgrube 27, today part of the Musikhochschule ("Music High School")Christian Adolph Overbeck(1755–1821)1791949Supreme Court procuratorAdolph Friedrich Dehns(1740–1806)1792Senate secretary; son of the preacher at St. Giles's Church, Lübeck, Johann Balthasar Dehns, council secretary from 1769.Friedrich Bruns: Die Lübecker Syndiker und Ratssekretäre bis zur Verfassungsänderung von 1851. In: ZVLGA Band 29 (1938), S.91 (163ff.).**Ludwig Suhl1793Assessor of the cathedral chapter**Christian Adolph Overbeck1794–1797949Second General Counsel of the chapterGottlieb Nicolaus Stolterfoht(1763–1806)1798–1801Last preacher at the Burgkloster, and according to the Lübecker Adressbuch for 1798 also a preacher at the Heiligen-Geist-Hospital and the Pockenhaus. During the French invasion, the Battle of Lübeck, he was mortally wounded by a bullet in the hallway of his home.Anton Diedrich Gütschow1802–1803Counsel***Ludwig Suhl1804–1808Titular assessorJohann Friedrich Petersen(1760–1845)1808–1814Cathedral preacher. First recipient of the Gedenkmünze Bene Merenti (1835).Ahasver von Brandt: Bene Merenti – Ein Lübisches Ehrenzeichen, seine Geschichte und seine Inhaber in: Der Wagen 1958, S. 58–64Nicolaus Heinrich Brehmer(1765–1822)1814–1818Doctor, father of the senator and Burgomaster Heinrich Brehmer****Ludwig Suhl (died 1819)1818–1819Dr. jur., lawyer, titular assessor**Nicolaus Heinrich Brehmer1819–1821DoctorBernhard Heinrich von der Hude1821–1825Pastor, St. Mary's Church, LübeckJohann Friedrich Hach1825–1830955Supreme Court of Appeal, recipient of the Gedenkmünze Bene Merenti (1850)Christian Gerhard Overbeck(1784–1846)1830–1833Supreme Court of Appeal, member of Jung-Lübeck movement**Johann Friedrich Hach1833–1836Supreme Court of Appeal**Christian Gerhard Overbeck1836–1839Supreme Court of AppealHeinrich von der Hude1798–18531839–1842Supreme Court of Appeal procurator, also at the regional court and the Lower Court. In 1844 the third councillor and in 1852 senatorFriedrich Boldemann(1788–1865)1842–1845Underwriting agent, Schonenfahrer and CitizenJohann Heinrich Behn1845–1848ActuaryJohannes Classen1848–1851Professor at the KatharineumHermann Wilhelm Hach(1800–1867)1851–1854992Senator, son of the senator Johann Friedrich Hach.Georg Friedrich Ludwig Oppenheimer1854–1856Supreme Court of Appeal councillorKarl Martin Joachim Klug1856–1859Pastor at St. Jacob's Church, LübeckFriedrich Wilhelm Mantels1859–1862Professor at the Katharineum, former member of Jung-Lübeck movementWilhelm von Bippen (Arzt) († 1865)1862–1865Practising physicianHeinrich Gustav Plitt1865–18681002Director of the Lower Court, from 1868 senatorWilhelm Brehmer1868–18711005Lawyer, from 1870 senator, recipient of the Gedenkmünze Bene Merenti (1901)Carl Alexander von Duhn1871–1874Member of the Supreme Court, former member of the Jung-Lübeck movementFriedrich Adolph Hach(1832–1896)1874–1877Actuary for the PoliceAugust Heinrich Sartori1877–1889Teacher at the Katharineum, from 1880 professorHeinrich Klug1886–18891012Senator, recipient of the Gedenkmünze Bene Merenti (1904)Johann Georg Eschenburg1883–18861017Senate secretary, from 1885 senator, recipient of the Gedenkmünze Bene Merenti (1910)**Heinrich Klug1886–18891012SenatorErnst Christian Johannes Schön1889–18921022Public prosecutorAdolf Brehmer1892–1895LawyerEmil Ferdinand Fehling1895–18981023Lawyer, from 1896 senator, recipient of the Gedenkmünze Bene Merenti (1917)Johannes Daniel Benda1898–1901District court judge, from 1901 public prosecutor, recipient of the Gedenkmünze Bene Merenti (1919)Ernst Julius Ludwig Müller1901–1904Director of the Johanneum**Ernst Christian Johannes Schön1904–19071022SenatorJohann Martin Andreas Neumann1907–19101029SenatorKarl Friedrich Robert Dimpker1910–19131037Counsel and praeses of the Board of TradeChristian Reuter1913–1915Director of the KatharineumCay Diedrich Lienau1915–19181034SenatorJohann Hermann Friedrich Evers1918–1921Pastor of St. Mary'sHermann Stodte1921–1924Direktor at the JohanneumRudolf Keibel1924–1927First Counsel of the Board of TradeAdolf Ihde1927–1930born 1881 in Lübeck, died 1959 in Sierksdorf; lawyer and notaryKarl Utermarck1930–1933District court presidentHans Sellschopp1933–1938MerchantBernhard Otto Clausen1939–1945Leader in the NSDAP**Adolf Ihde1945–1949Lawyer and notaryWilhelm Kusche († 1951)1949–1951Director at the cathedral schoolRolf Sander1952–1958District court councillorGerhard Gaul1958–1961Lawyer and notary. Recipient of the Gedenkmünze Bene Merenti (1982)Gerhard Schneider1961–1964Senator**Rolf Sander1964–1966Judge at the district courtWerner Dalstein1967–1969Planning directorJulius Edelhoff1970–1972Chief medical directorGerhard Lund1973–1975Lawyer and notaryChristoph Deecke1976–1978ArchitectBoto Kusserow1979–1984Lawyer and notary**Christoph Deecke (1924–2004)1985ArchitectHans-Helmke Goosmann (b. 1927)1991–1996ArchitectRenate Menken (b. 1943)1997–2002PharmacistHelmut Wischmeyer (b. 1935)2003–2005Property developerAntje Peters-Hirt (b. 1953)2006–2011Germanist
Note. The term of office is three years; immediately following terms are not specifically highlighted in the table, but can be deduced. Additional terms of office, after the term of a different incumbent, are marked by asterisks, so ** indicates a second additional period, and *** indicates a third. The Ratslinie number gives the position in the official register of 1925, Emil Ferdinand Fehling's Ratslinie.
See also Lübeckische Blätter, newspaper Der Wagen, an almanac for Lübeck Patriotische Gesellschaft von 1765 ("Patriotic Society of 1765") in Hamburg Gesellschaft für das Gute und Gemeinnützige Basel, a charity in Basel
Bibliography Friedrich Bruns: Die Lübecker Syndiker und Ratssekretäre bis zur Verfassungsänderung von 1851 in: ZVLGA Band 29 (1938), S. 91 – 168. Hermann Stodte: Festschrift zur 150-Jahr-Feier der Gesellschaft zur Beförderung gemeinnütziger Tätigkeit zu Lübeck, begründet 1789. Lübeck 1939. Georg Behrens, 175 Jahre Gemeinnütziges Wirken, Lübeck 1964 Ahasver von Brandt: Das Lübecker Bürgertum zur Zeit der Gründung der "Gemeinnützigen" – Menschen, Ideen und soziale Verhältnisse. In: Der Wagen 1966, S. 18–33. Emil Ferdinand Fehling, Lübeckische Ratslinie, Lübeck 1925. Vorsteherschaft der Gesellschaft (Hrsg.), 200 Jahre Gesellschaft zur Beförderung gemeinnütziger Tätigkeit in Lübeck 1789–1989, Lübeck 1989
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External links
Gemeinnützige