40 Jahre Deutsche Buddhistische Union. Beitrag zum Konvent der Deutschen Buddhistischen Union in München am 28. Oktober 1995

Abstract This was the case till the end of 1946 when Walter Persian, Düsseldorf, got a license for a German Buddhist Community. He began to re-organize Buddhist circles in the three western zones. But his resignation, the currency reform and the death of the sponsor Orlowsky in 1948 put an end to this first attempt. In the following years the Buddhist Community of Munich tried to unite the German Buddhists but the foundations of 1950 and 1952 remained restricted to some small groups only. In 1955 J.G. Bauer of the Munich Society succeeded in establishing an umbrella organization in Frankfurt of which all Buddhist groups became members. This was the birthday of the German Buddhist Union which now has 37 members. When Austrian Buddhists became recognised by the state as a religious community in 1983, the German Buddhist Union tried to achieve the same goal in 1985 but failed. The most important consequence of this attempt was the promulgation of a Buddhist Credo.