Voluntary social year

She wanted to offer a voluntary social year for female high school graduates before they start studying for personal and professional orientation.

At that time it was a completely new concept and a forerunner of the voluntary social year, that was later legally anchored in Germany.

On February 14, 1963, the government introduced a draft law to offer a voluntary social year in parliament, the Bundestag.

Since 1968 the FSJ is organized by the Association for the Promotion of Voluntary Social Services (German: Verein zur Förderung freiwilliger sozialer Dienste) and is legally regulated in the Volunteer bill.

Young people can volunteer in the FSJ for ten to twelve months in a social institution in Austria.

[14][15] Similar to the "Special Alternative Civilian Service" (German: Außerordentlicher Zivildienst), during times of crisis or a state of emergency, men and women can again volunteer for a "special voluntary social year" (German: Außerordentliches Freiwilliges Soziales Jahr), if they already have completed a regular voluntary social year.

The hours of work, positions, pocket money and insurance correspond to the conditions of the regular FSJ.