Values. Interest. Network.

The MOV is aimed at active and former naval officers, naval officer candidates and all those who feel a connection to the German Navy.

We are looking for new members who

• see their profession as more than just a job
• think and act with an open mind, independently and in a critical and constructive manner
• are interested in maritime issues beyond their professional tasks and want to help shape them
• seek and have found their professional spiritual home and identity in the navy
• want to maintain, promote and live the sense of community and togetherness among naval officers
• want to support other members in a large network with their wealth of knowledge and experience
• are committed to an ethically based naval tradition.

The members of MOV meet once a year for the general meeting.

MOV is present on the Internet. Here you will find up-to-date information on current topics and, if necessary, discussions in the closed forum.

MOV is represented by regional representatives (RegBea), primarily in naval locations.

Where does the MOV come from and how do we work

• The MOV was founded in 1918 and sees itself as a network of active and former naval officers and maritime enthusiasts.
• It forms a network and a bridge between the navy and the civilian sector.
• The MOV is a central association based in Wilhelmshaven; it has around 3,500 members, the majority of whom are active and former naval officers.
• MOV, MOH and DMI see themselves as a unit in their objectives and fulfil their special tasks in close cooperation.
• The MarineForum and the Internet are used to provide information and discuss issues.
  Maritime knowledge is archived in the archive and made available to members.

What the MOV offers

• Subscription to the magazine MarineForum (included in the membership fee)
• Contributing to the content of MarineForum and DMKN
• Promoting maritime thinking and deepening the understanding of our country's maritime interests
• Participation in regional events and working groups
• Support for the transition to civilian life through the network of active and former officers
• Use of the office archive
• Support from the MOH in emergencies
• Utilisation of the recreational facilities of the Bundeswehr social welfare organisation via the MOH

What are we doing?

• The MOV organises an annual general meeting at different locations. This meeting focusses on fundamental maritime matters and the further development of the association.
• MOV also organises regional meetings and working groups.
• The MOV cultivates the comradely solidarity of its members, promotes the exchange of experience and discussion, and is committed to the traditional values of the navy and comradely assistance.
• The MOV recognises outstanding achievements in the training and further education of naval officers with top prizes.
• The MOV welcomes every prospective naval officer with a job-related gift.
• MOV supports naval officers in their transition to civilian working life by providing professional advice and utilising its MOV network, among other things

After the initial hardship had been gradually alleviated by the dedicated comradeship of its members, the MOV had developed into a professional organisation of active and former naval officers, who, as soldiers, were still an elevated status in society with, for example, their own jurisdiction until 1945, when it was forced to disband by the victorious powers. After the end of the Second World War, the need was certainly greater than after 1918, although the MOV had already been renamed "Marine-Offizier-Hilfe" in 1939 due to the increasing need caused by the war. Following the consolidation of the Federal Republic of Germany, it was re-established as the MOH in 1952. The purpose corresponded to that of 1918.

With the establishment of the Bundeswehr came the need to maintain close ties with the new German Navy. Since the Basic Law of the Federal Republic of Germany recognises the equality of all citizens and therefore no longer recognises any estates, the re-established MOH could no longer be a professional organisation. It had to reorganise itself into an association of free and equal citizens and the active members from the ranks of the "Bundesmarine" were therefore nothing other than "citizens in uniform". The association's board of directors faced these challenges with great commitment and drew the organisational conclusions that are still valid today.

In 1966, the MOH was renamed the "Marine-Offizier-Vereinigung" (MOV), which formed the organisational umbrella, so to speak, while the MOH was able to concentrate on carrying out its social tasks. In the long history of the MOV, the period from 1963 to 1978, when retired Flotilla Admiral Alfred Schumann (1902 - 1985) held the chairmanship, was probably the most formative time, as it was here that paths were taken that still decisively determine the meaning and activities of the MOV, MOH and DMI today. The chairman and his helpers, who were still in active service and were still young staff officers at the time but no longer serving in the war, were aware that the MOV could not be a veterans' association. They had realised that an association of officers that focused exclusively on cultivating camaraderie no longer appealed to many of the younger naval officers. The MOV therefore began to focus its activities more on public relations. The close links between the military and civilian naval interests of the Federal Republic of Germany had been recognised. To this end, Admiral Schumann wanted to establish a platform for the exchange of maritime ideas. The aim was to promote public understanding of the importance of the sea and the maritime context.

Far-reaching structural changes were necessary to achieve these goals. In 1973, the "German Marine Institute" was founded, since 2011 the "German Maritime Institute" (DMI), a project-related working group that is to carry out specialised tasks with the backing of the MOV. The association's magazine was reorganised in 1973 as "Marineforum" to become a specialist publication on sea-related aspects of our security policy, technology, research, economy and history. The "German Maritime Competence Network" (DMKN), an internet forum for the German maritime industry, has been a further organ of the MOV since 2004.

After more than 90 years, it can be summarised as follows: The Naval Officers' Association has been a community of values from the very beginning. Until 1945, it was a professional organisation typical of the time, but soon adopted the principles of the liberal democratic legal system after its re-establishment in the Federal Republic of Germany in 1952. In the MOV, active and former naval officers, naval officer cadets and all those who feel connected to the navy have come together to form a community that spans three generations in terms of age.

MOV provides a professional and intellectual home for members who see their profession as more than just a job, who are open-minded, independent and think and act critically and constructively, who are interested in maritime issues beyond their specialist tasks and who want to help shape them. Under the umbrella of the MOV, the organisations DMI and MOH, as well as the "Marineforum" and the DMKN, cultivate togetherness and the exchange of a considerable wealth of knowledge and experience in a wide variety of events and publications through a large network.

Dr Heinrich Walle