Sign in

Private company

German War Graves Commission

Logo: Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge Recreating: Michael Musto, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons4

Organisation responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of German war graves

The People's Alliance of the German War Graves Care is responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of German war graves in Europe and North Africa. Its objectives are acquisition, maintenance and care of German war graves; tending to next of kin; youth and educational work; and preservation of the memory to the sacrifices of war and despotism. Former head of the Bundeswehr Wolfgang Schneiderhan was elected President of the organisation in 2016, succeeding SPD politician Markus Meckel.2 It is headquartered in Kassel.1 It employed 529 people in 2024.1 Its revenue was €54.5 million in 2024.1 Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0

Last updated Oct 21, 2026.

Overview

Dec 16, 1919Founded1
  • HeadquartersKassel, Germany1
  • Websitewww.volksbund.de
  • Legal formRegistered association (eingetragener Verein)1
  • Kind of organizationNonprofit organization1
  • LEI391200OFVTMCTYREL1063
  • StatusActive3
  • LEI statusIssued and current3
  • Registered addressSonnenalle 1, 34266 Niestetal, Germany3
  • Registered withLocal Court Kassel, VR 9513

See how the biggest companies compare on our leaderboards

The People's Alliance of the German War Graves Care (German: Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge, pronounced [ˈfɔlksbʊnt ˈdɔʏtʃə ˈkʁiːksɡʁɛːbɐˌfyːɐ̯zɔʁɡə] ) is responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of German war graves in Europe and North Africa. Its objectives are acquisition, maintenance and care of German war graves; tending to next of kin; youth and educational work; and preservation of the memory to the sacrifices of war and despotism. Former head of the Bundeswehr Wolfgang Schneiderhan was elected President of the organisation in 2016, succeeding SPD politician Markus Meckel. The President of Germany, currently Frank-Walter Steinmeier (SPD), is the organisation's patron.2

Corporate structure

German War Graves Commission sits at the top of its group. 1 entity, 1 country on record. Switch between the flow chart and the network, and select any entity to see its details.

  • German War Graves Commission Niestetal, Germany
    • Möltenort U-Boat Memorial Owned · Heikendorf, Germany

Built from parent and subsidiary links from GLEIF, the Global Legal Entity Identifier Foundation (CC0); subsidiaries, stakes and holdings from Wikidata (CC0). Each entity in the chart links to its source.

What it owns

What German War Graves Commission reports owning in its annual reports to the SEC: buildings, land and equipment, real estate and locations, investments, intangible assets and inventory, at the end of its latest fiscal year and a year before.

Stakes and holdings (Wikidata)

  • Möltenort U-Boat Memorial

Things Wikidata records the company as owning, with the share when stated.1

The story

Establishment

The commission was founded as a private charity on 16 December 1919, as the recognised [German] People's Alliance under the war graves provisions of Article 225 of the Treaty of Versailles. By the 1930s, the commission had established numerous cemeteries for German World War I dead.

World War II and postwar

During World War II, the work of the People's Alliance was mostly carried out by the Wehrmacht's own graves service. After World War II, the People's Alliance resumed its work in 1946 and soon established more than 400 war cemeteries in Germany. In 1954, the German chancellor Konrad Adenauer, tasked the People's Alliance with the establishment, care and upkeep of German war cemeteries abroad.

From Wikipedia’s article on German War Graves Commission, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.5

Leadership

Who has led German War Graves Commission, and when. Pick a name to see everywhere that person has worked.

Chair

  1. Joseph Koeth1919–1923
  2. Otto Gessler1928–1932
  3. Siegfried Emmo Eulen1933–1945
  4. Wilhelm Ahlhorn1946–1949
  5. Eberhard Hagemann1949–1952
  6. Gustav Ahlhorn1952–1959
  7. Walter Trepte1960–1970
  8. Willi Thiele1970–1977
  9. Josef Schneeberger1977–1982
  10. Hans-Otto Weber1987–1998
  11. Reinhard Führer1998–2013
  12. Markus Meckel2013–2016
  13. Wolfgang Schneiderhan2016–now
197019801990200020102020

Subsidiaries and ownership

Also owns

  • Möltenort U-Boat Memorial

From Wikidata.1

Employees over time

German War Graves Commission employees by year1529 in 2024−7% since 2018
02004006002018: 56756720182020: 5405402020−5%2024: 5295292024−2%
  • 20245291
  • 20205401
  • 20185671

Revenue over time

As stated on Wikidata, in the currency reported.

Revenue

German War Graves Commission revenue by year154.5M EUR in 2024+20% since 2018
020.0M EUR40.0M EUR60.0M EUR2018: 45.6M EUR45.6M EUR20182019: 51.8M EUR51.8M EUR2019+14%2020: 51.0M EUR51.0M EUR2020−2%2022: 53.0M EUR53.0M EUR2022+4%2023: 54.3M EUR54.3M EUR2023+2%2024: 54.5M EUR54.5M EUR2024+0%
  • 202454.5M EUR1
  • 202354.3M EUR1
  • 202253.0M EUR1
  • 202051.0M EUR1
  • 201951.8M EUR1
  • 201845.6M EUR1

Timeline

  1. Dec 16, 1919Founded Founded1

Sources

The numbers on this page point here. Each one links to the record it came from.

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5