Ricard Schirrmann, a school teacher from East Prussia, was out walking in the woods with a party of boys near Bonn in August, 1909, when they were caught in a thunderstorm. Soaked to the skin, they found refuge in a village school. There, he had the idea that led to the foundation of the world’s first youth hostel, set up that same year in Altena, Westphalia. The North Rhine-West-phalian Prime Minister, Johannes Rau (right), and Schimriann’s widow, aged 80, are seen in Altena at the 75th anniversary celebrations of a movement that now comprises more than 5100 hostels with 340,000 beds in 52 countries all over the world. Youth hostels total over 28 million bednights a year. The movement has 3.8 million cardcarrying members. There are 572 youth hostels with roughly 73,000 beds in West Germany and West Berlin. The German Y.H.A. in Detmold says they are part of the world’s largest bed-and-breakfast chain.
Permanent link to this item
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19841005.2.106.4
Bibliographic details
Press, 5 October 1984, Page 17
Word Count
154Untitled Press, 5 October 1984, Page 17
Using This Item
Stuff Ltd is the copyright owner for the Press. You can reproduce in-copyright material from this newspaper for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0 New Zealand licence. This newspaper is not available for commercial use without the consent of Stuff Ltd. For advice on reproduction of out-of-copyright material from this newspaper, please refer to the Copyright guide.
Copyright in all Footrot Flats cartoons is owned by Diogenes Designs Ltd. The National Library has been granted permission to digitise these cartoons and make them available online as part of this digitised version of the Press. You can search, browse, and print Footrot Flats cartoons for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from Diogenes Designs Ltd for any other use.
Acknowledgements
This newspaper was digitised in partnership with Christchurch City Libraries.