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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

German War Graves Commission


Mark Hone

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This morning, out of the blue, I received an appeal for a charity donation from the VDK written in German. Have any other Pals received similar? I have no objection but wonder how they got hold of my details as I don't ever recall writing to them.

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I have had similar letters.

As I recall you had to enter your address when you first used their web site - at least you did when it first came on-line.

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I get one about 4 times a year and have done for about 15 years. I usually donate something as I think they are a worthy cause (and they have been a great help to me over this time and send me the magazine "Stimme & Weg" quarterly without me asking - free subscription).

No idea where they've got your address from, because, in my case ,I've had a lot of dealings with them. (You haven't filled out a form on their website search engine by any chance have you?).

One thing I've got to say though, is my German fluency improved no end since I started dealing with them! :D

Dave.

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Don't be so harsh or cruel with VdK! The caring of war graves allover the world is a state organized and financed matter. Not so with German War Graves: in Germany the care taking of war graves is for the greater part a non-state-funded issue. This is why the VdK is dependent on voluntary charity donations in order to finance their great work. I drew my own conclusion and became a paying member. So don't criticize too hard when obtaining mail....it's for a good reason after all.

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Egbert-I assure you that I wasn't being critical of the VDK, just wondering how they got hold of my address.

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Some years back when at Poelcapelle German Cemetry we were asked to take part in a survey by a party of young German students, which we gladly did, at the end of the interview the lady that had spoke to me asked if I would mind adding my address, a year or so after a change of address a letter was sent the old address from the VdK. as such I suspect that is how they contacted me.

In all fairness to the VdK I have never been pestered by them for money despite the fact that my donations are haphazard and by no means on a regular basis. showing my ignorance as usual, I did not realise untill reading this theme that they had no state funding.

David.

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Egbert

I don't see that anyone responding in this thread has complained about being asked for money by VdK.

It is a very worthy cause and I am sure that all donations are welcomed and are put to a very good cause. I, for one, will support them every time I have the chance.

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Terry,

My intention was not to offend anybody. To the contrary: I just wanted to calm down the pals who think they are getting aggressive spam mail from VdK. My message is already fulfilled, when pals understand that VdK does not get state funding (they get morale support but that does not help them in the present difficult times, when they try to secure as many remains as possible from WWII in Eastern Europe). In these days when everybody is flooded with spam it is acceptable to ask questions like the ones posed here. But again they in desperate need of our voluntary donations, and obviously they sometimes bother somebody – understandable, but they are fighting a good fight to secure our COMMON heritage.

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