Verein für Deutsche Kulturbeziehungen im Ausland

During the Nazi era it was engaged in spying across the whole world, using German minorities living in other countries.

[4] It was used to promote Nazi political and racist ideas and was especially active in schools[5] When Klagenfurt in Austria canceled the association's planned rally in 1933, some 18,000 participants flocked to Passau instead.

[6] During the pre-war years and through World War II, the VDA distributed over 1,200 different donation badges, postcards and other items to raise funds for its charity work.

This was done alongside other similar charity drives by organisations such as the Winterhilfswerk (WHW), the Deutsches Rotes Kreuz (DRK/German Red Cross) and others.

In the middle of 1930s the organization found itself in dispute with Hitler, as it had more extensive territorial claims against other countries than Hitler was willing to demonstrate in international arena; after the Second World War started in 1939, VDA together with SS was engaged in preparing and carrying out ethnic cleansing in territories conquered by Germany.

[7] In 1955, it was reestablished under its former name Verein für das Deutschtum im Ausland at the initiative of the Bavarian Prime Minister Wilhelm Hoegner, the Minister of Culture Alois Hundhammer, the chairman of the German Confederation of Trade Unions in Bavaria Max Wönner, industrialist Rolf Rodenstock and several prominent public figures.