Anniversary celebration in Stein lacks prominent patroness, while mother recovers milestone 75 years
On a sunny July day in 2025, the district of Stein, Fürth, celebrated a significant milestone – the 75th anniversary of the birthplace of maternal care in Germany. The event, organised by FrauenWerk Stein e.V., the direct successor of the Bavarian Mütterdienst, was marked by the unveiling of the first stele on a new "historical path" through the history of maternal care.
The ceremony was attended by distinguished guests including District President Peter Daniel Forster, District Administrator Bernd Obst, Stein's First Mayor Kurt Krömer, Diakonie President Sandra Schuhmann, MGW Managing Director Rebekka Rupprecht, and Bavaria’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Economic Affairs, Hubert Aiwanger. The attendance of such high-ranking officials underscored the continued significance of the event.
The anniversary celebration was initially scheduled to have Karin Baumann-Söder, the Bavarian MGW patroness, in attendance. However, due to an official cancellation, she was unable to attend. Instead, her role was filled by Aiwanger. The cause of the delay in the unveiling of the stele and the absence of Baumann-Söder remain unclear, with no official statements provided as of yet.
The Müttergenesungswerk (MGW) was initiated in Stein in 1950 by Elly Heuss-Knapp, the wife of then Federal President Theodor Heuss. Maternal care was legally established in the Federal Social Assistance Act in 1962, with mother-child cures added in 1983. Today, the MGW serves as a central pillar of healthcare for not only mothers but also fathers and caring relatives in Germany.
In 2002, father-child cures were added to the MGW's services, making it a comprehensive healthcare provider for families. Since 2007, these cures have been a mandatory service of the statutory health insurance funds.
The emotional highlight of the anniversary was the unveiling of the first stele on the historical path of maternal care. The area where the MGW was founded will be further developed in the coming years, marking a new chapter in the history of maternal care in Stein.
In a moving speech, Peter Daniel Forster proposed that he and other politicians could go out on the street together with collection boxes for the MGW association, following in the footsteps of the first Mother's Day collection in 1950, which raised 2.5 million euros (adjusted for inflation). The district president immediately agreed to the proposal, demonstrating the ongoing support for the MGW.
As the day drew to a close, the guests left with a renewed appreciation for the importance of maternal care in Germany, a country that is the only one worldwide where maternal care is a legally established right. The historical path through the history of maternal care in Stein is set to be a testament to this significant achievement.
- The anniversary celebration of maternal care in Stein, Germany, highlighted the importance of health-and-wellness, particularly women's health, in policy-and-legislation and general news.
- The MGW, a central pillar of healthcare for mothers, fathers, and caring relatives in Germany, has expanded its services over the years to include fitness-and-exercise, mental-health therapies-and-treatments, and now, father-child cures.
- In the spirit of workplace-wellness, the district president, Peter Daniel Forster, proposed a modern take on the first Mother's Day collection in 1950, suggesting a street campaign with collection boxes for the MGW association.
- Over time, the area where the MGW was founded will be developed into a historical path, signifying a new chapter in the field of health-and-wellness in Stein.
- The absence of Karin Baumann-Söder, the Bavarian MGW patroness, at the anniversary celebration left the cause of the delay in the unveiling of the stele and her absence unclear.
- As the world's only country where maternal care is a legally established right, the historical path through the history of maternal care in Stein serves as a testament to the significant strides made in the science of medicine and women's health.
