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70 years of THW Landau: Heroes in action against the drought in Chad!
THW Landau celebrated 70 years since the first foreign mission in Chad in 1974. A look at important missions and their effects.
70 years of THW Landau: Heroes in action against the drought in Chad!
The city of Landau proudly looks back on 70 years of volunteer work by the THW local association, which has an impressive history. Founded in the post-war period, the Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW) has since developed into an indispensable institution that is available in disaster situations worldwide. The first foreign deployment in 1974 was particularly striking, when 15 Landau THW volunteers helped drought-stricken Chad secure supplies. In an impressive feat, ferries were even built during this operation to pave the way for relief supplies.
The THW was particularly active in the 1970s. According to a report by thw.de, emergency services, for example, built temporary road bridges in Tunisia after devastating rain floods and carried out rescue operations after an earthquake in Turkey. The challenges were great because the beginning of 1970 was marked by catastrophic flood events that affected large parts of Germany. The flood in February 1970 was particularly dramatic, leading to one of the greatest disasters of the 20th century and mobilizing the nationwide THW emergency services to combat the damage.
A look into the past
Werner Uhrig, a contemporary witness, vividly remembers the mission in Chad. Such missions not only shaped the history of the THW, but also the public image of the organization. There was much discussion, particularly about the need to improve equipment and integrate air raid support services, as the number of volunteers increased to around 70,000 in the 1970s. At that time, the first establishment of a THW disaster protection school in Ahrweiler, which offered THW training, was an important step towards the professionalization of operations.
The THW enjoys great respect due to its diverse operations. It is not only active in Germany, but also provides international aid. Starting in 2010, the so-called Standing Engineering Capacity (SEC) was established to provide technical and logistical support for international peacekeeping missions. These operations require a high degree of flexibility and coordination in order to meet the needs of the affected regions. An example of this is the EU “Emergency Temporary Shelter” module, which was developed in collaboration with the Swedish Civil Protection Agency and enables the rapid construction of emergency shelters for up to 1,000 people.
Looking into the future
The THW is now anchored in the budget law as a security authority, equivalent to the Federal Criminal Police Office, Federal Police and Customs. This classification shows how important the role of THW in society has become. In times of natural disasters, humanitarian crises or technical accidents, helpers are indispensable. With a constantly growing pool of emergency services and modern equipment, the THW is ideally equipped to continue to provide help in the future.
The history of the THW, from the first missions in the 1970s to the current challenges of international aid, remains an exciting chapter for German aid organizations. The celebration of the 70th anniversary in Landau is not only a look back, but also a look ahead to the coming years, in which the THW will certainly achieve great things again.