50-780: The ADAC , officially the Allgemeiner Deutscher Automobil-Club ( lit. ' General German Automobile Club ' ), is Europe's largest automobile association . The ADAC is the largest verein (club) in Germany , with around 21 million members. Its headquarters are located in Munich . Its original and most well-known service is roadside assistance . The objective of the ADAC is "the representation, promotion, and advocacy of motoring, motorsport , and tourism interests." The ADAC also owns subsidiaries in
100-680: A fixture on German roads. In 2007, the ADAC deployed MPVs , each carrying a myriad of tools, small parts, and replacement batteries. As of 2020, in the case of a car breakdown, members could request assistance over the phone, over the internet, or via a smartphone app . The patrol driver, sent by a dispatcher , then calls the member several minutes before arrival. ADAC has also provided Europe-wide breakdown assistance for HGVs. In Germany, ADAC has used special breakdown assistance vehicles for HGVs. In other European countries, ADAC partners provide assistance. In 2021, road patrols and ADAC mobility partners were dispatched in 3.5 million cases. In keeping with
150-582: A managing director will not invalidate a contract with a third party, but the GmbH may hold the managing director in question liable for damages. Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein have different national requirements as follows: The concept of a company with limited liability existed in the United Kingdom before it did in German-speaking countries. In 1892, the laws governing
200-481: A measure of how well a road protects road users in the event of an accident. Data on road characteristics is gathered by driving through road inspections using a specially equipped inspection vehicle. Assessors then produce a safety star rating, which is comparable across Europe. The ADAC has also undertaken road inspections on behalf of other EuroRAP members, including the Road Safety Foundation in
250-460: A series of critical press releases on the issue of "driving licence shopping" – getting a driving license in another country after having one's licence revoked in their home country – and advocated the speedy harmonisation of driver licensing in Europe. Some ADAC positions are controversial, questioning the benefit for road safety of some planned measures or rather implying the opposite. As of 2010,
300-530: A variety of tourism and travel-related information for motorcyclists and drivers of historic vehicles. In the course of German reunification , ADAC joined forces with the conservancy Schutzgemeinschaft Deutscher Wald ("Alliance for the Protection of German Forests") and the German tourism association Deutscher Tourismusverband to have the 2,500 kilometres Deutsche Alleenstraße tree-lined holiday route running
350-466: Is a foundation set up in 1998 to promote and support German racing talent. Young racers showing potential are offered the opportunity to benefit from the support of experts and partners of the foundation. In addition to material backing, grantees are also eligible to benefit from training and coaching in many fields. In addition, the foundation also devotes funds to increasing motorsport safety and supporting non-professional racers injured in accidents. ADAC
400-548: Is a type of legal entity in German-speaking countries. It is equivalent to a société à responsabilité limitée (Sàrl) in the French-speaking part of Switzerland and to a Società a Garanzia Limitata (Sagl) in the Italian-speaking part. It is an entity broadly equivalent to the private limited company in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth countries, and the limited liability company (LLC) in
450-465: Is among Germany's most influential associations and one of the biggest lobbying associations worldwide. Public relations activities focus on topics such as maintaining motorised mobility, traffic laws and fines , and road safety education. In recent years, ADAC has developed a growing interest in other transport operators and modes, for instance, by conducting tests on local public transport and urban cycling. The ADAC publishes ADAC Motorwelt , one of
500-543: Is one of 78 select associations and federations in Germany eligible to file model declaratory actions ( Musterfeststellungsklage ). The primary service provided by ADAC has been roadside assistance . The ADAC road patrol dates back to 1928, when the ADAC-Straßen-Hilfsdienst (ADAC Roadside Assistance Service) was established. Back then, the patrols used sidecar motorcycles . During World War II ADAC
550-518: Is separate from the association. ADAC e.V. held a 57.74% majority of ADAC SE shares. Other shareholders included the ADAC foundation (25.10%) and, via private equity companies, several ADAC regional clubs (17.16%). The ADAC foundation has pooled ADAC's charitable and public benefit activities such as the promotion and support of rescue in life-threatening situations, accident prevention, scholarship & research, education, and charity. The ADAC General Assembly convenes annually. Every four years, it elects
SECTION 10
#1732783484827600-511: The European Commission to invest in safe road infrastructure initiatives. ADAC is the campaign's partner in Germany. In 2016, ADAC restructured its organisation, implementing a 3-pillar structure comprising an association (ADAC e.V.), a societas Europaea (ADAC SE) and a foundation (ADAC Stiftung ). This structure was adopted by the vote of 200 delegates during a General Assembly in late 2014, and finalised in detail in 2015. At
650-521: The NSKK (National Socialist Motor Corps). A DDAC appeal described the 1934 international Automobile Exhibition as a "show for the people" rather than an "exhibition for the more affluent bourgeois segment" of society. "Motoring for the people" ( Volkskraftfahrt ), it proclaimed, was more "in the spirit of the Führer ". After business activities resumed in 1946, roadside assistance was revived in 1954 under
700-572: The Unternehmensregister . In 2008, a derived form called Unternehmergesellschaft (haftungsbeschränkt) (English: "entrepreneurial company (limited liability)"), or in short UG (haftungsbeschränkt) , was introduced. It requires a minimum founding capital of €1 and was introduced to assist company founders in setting up a new company. Also, the UG must enlarge its capital by at least 25% of its annual net profit (with some adjustments), until
750-597: The supervised driving at age 17 pilot program in Lower Saxony and celebrated its 100th anniversary. In 2007, the ADAC Stiftung "Gelber Engel" foundation was established. This foundation financially supports survivors of road accidents and funds accident rescue and accident research initiatives and institutions. The ADAC Stiftung "Gelber Engel" ("ADAC 'Yellow Angel' Foundation") has supported victims of road accidents since 2007. In September 2013, that foundation
800-454: The 2016 ADAC General Assembly in Lübeck, the delegates agreed to the reorganised structure. This structure was fully implemented by early 2017. ADAC e.V. provides core membership benefits. The ADAC e.V. Executive Board is the remunerated executive body responsible for the club's management. Commercial activities have been devolved to ADAC SE, an autonomous public company limited by shares that
850-505: The ADAC holds shares in Aero-Dienst , which enables it to operate a small fleet of fixed-wing ambulance aircraft for mid-range medical repatriation. As of January 2019, ADAC members could call for assistance when they had locked themselves out of their homes. This was a pilot project running in the urban areas of Munich, Berlin , and Hamburg . The ADAC ridesharing club ( Mitfahrclub ) is a platform for ridesharing . The ADAC offers
900-575: The Administrative Council are binding towards all Regional Clubs. The ADAC is affiliated with the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile , the international automobile federation, the Fédération Internationale des Véhicules Anciens , the international historic vehicles federation, Euro NCAP , a crash test consortium, Pro Mobilität, a Berlin-based lobbying organisation promoting the expansion and maintenance of
950-589: The GmbH were adopted in Germany, and in Austria in 1906. During the 19th century, a legal entity with liability limited to the contributed capital was regarded as something dangerous. Hence, German law has many restrictions unknown to common law systems. Because there is no central company registry in Germany but rather several hundred connected to regional courts, administration of the law can vary somewhat between German states . Since 2007, there has been an internet-based central company register for Germany, called
1000-698: The UK. Both the ADAC and its older competitor Automobilclub von Deutschland (AvD; the organizer of the German Grand Prix ), have been members of the FIA and the DMSB . The European Grand Prix , the former ADAC Eifelrennen , the 24 Hours Nürburgring and many other races have been hosted by ADAC. In June 2008, the ADAC suspended its involvement with the FIA over the scandal surrounding Max Mosley and his subsequent retention as FIA president. ADAC Stiftung Sport
1050-508: The United States. The name of the GmbH form emphasizes that the owners ( Gesellschafter , also known as members) of the entity are not personally liable for the company's debts. GmbHs are considered legal persons under German, Swiss and Austrian law. Other variations include mbH (used when the term Gesellschaft is part of the company name itself), and gGmbH ( gemeinnützige GmbH) for non-profit companies. The GmbH has become
SECTION 20
#17327834848271100-427: The articles of association. Many of those documents have to be filed with the company registry, where they are checked by special judges or other judicial officers. This can be a tiresome and time-consuming process, as in most cases the transactions are legally valid only when filed with the registry. The founding process is expensive. Normally the foundation of a new GmbH costs about €1000 to €3000. The GmbH law outlines
1150-409: The bulk of this income (€631 million) was spent on assistance services. At the end of 2020, ADAC e.V. had 20.2 million members. Automobile association An automobile association , also referred to as a motoring club , motoring association , or motor club , is an organization, either for-profit or non-profit, which motorists (drivers and vehicle owners) can join to enjoy benefits provided by
1200-474: The case of an accident or extreme illness. The ADAC also offers membership to non-German residents, having signed contracts with automobile clubs worldwide. In the UK, it is possible to have breakdown recovery through the local AA while having an ADAC membership. As of 2022 ADAC Luftrettung ("Air Rescue") gGmbH is the largest civilian rotor-wing air medical organisation in Germany, followed by DRF Luftrettung. In an extension of its helicopter ambulance operations,
1250-504: The club had argued its opposition to a general speed limit on German motorways by citing the finding that statistically, motorways were already the safest roads in Germany in terms of accidents, and that a speed limit would not significantly reduce the severity of accidents. In 2021, supporters of a speed limit, such as the Verkehrsclub Deutschland e. V. [ de ] , argued that the measure would indeed reduce
1300-610: The club relating to driving a vehicle. There is most often an annual membership fee to join. A membership identification card, valid for the time period of membership paid, is typically issued to the member. Member benefits may include the following: GGmbH Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung ( German: [ɡəˈzɛlʃaft mɪt bəˌʃʁɛŋktɐ ˈhaftʊŋ] ), literally 'company with limited liability' (abbreviated as GmbH [ɡeːʔɛmbeːˈhaː] in Germany , Switzerland and Liechtenstein , and as Ges.m.b.H. in Austria ),
1350-431: The club's annual result was €43.7 million. In addition to the dividend paid out by ADAC SE, the legal entity reuniting all ADAC commercial activities, continuous membership growth, and an efficiency program positively impacted the annual result. In 2019, ADAC e.V.'s income from membership fees and the co-financing of membership benefits grew by €22.6 million from the previous year to reach €836.3 million. As in previous years,
1400-698: The club's executive and advisory bodies and convey a clear assignment of responsibilities. In 2021, the General Assembly elected Christian Reinicke as ADAC President, Gerd Ennser as ADAC Sport President, and Karlheinz Jungbeck as ADAC Tourism President. The ADAC Administrative Council is composed of the members of the Committee and the 18 chairmen of the Regional Clubs (or their deputies in the Regional Club Boards). Decisions of
1450-419: The company is run only by the managing directors ( Geschäftsführer ) who have the unrestricted proxy for the company. The members acting collectively may restrict the powers of the managing directors by giving them binding orders. In most cases, the articles of the association list the business activities for which the directors obtain prior consent from the members. Under German law, a violation of these duties by
1500-629: The country, so ADAC membership grew more than twice as fast as national car ownership. Growth rates during the ensuing twenty years were greatly boosted by German reunification . In May 2012, the organisation welcomed its 18 millionth member, and in May 2013, the ADAC fitted out its 10,000th roadside assistance vehicle, a Volkswagen Touran , with several hundred different tools and replacement parts. In 1997, ADAC opened its new technical centre in Landsberg am Lech, Bavaria. In 2003, ADAC voiced criticism of
1550-551: The facility as compliant with the DIN EN ISO/IEC 17025 standard. The testing operations are certified to ISO 9001 :2015. The ADAC has been an active member of the European Road Assessment Program ( EuroRAP ) in Germany. The ADAC regularly publishes maps showing safety characteristics of German roads. These maps, based on EuroRAP's Road Protection Score Protocol (or Star Rating Protocol), are
ADAC - Misplaced Pages Continue
1600-489: The founding stages", with the meaning of "registration pending"); and finally the fully registered GmbH. Only the registration of the company in the Commercial Register ( Handelsregister ) provides the GmbH with its full legal status. The founding act and the articles of association have to be notarized , as do a number of business transactions, such as transfer of shares, issuing of stock, and amendments to
1650-470: The general minimum of €25,000 is reached (at which point the company may change its name to the more prestigious GmbH ). In this case, the word haftungsbeschränkt must not be abbreviated. A gemeinnützige Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung (gGmbH) is a special form of a limited liability company with a charitable purpose. Traditional foundations and gGmbHs in Germany do not have minimum annual giving requirements. They are required to spend any profits by
1700-496: The insurance and publishing sectors. These subsidiaries all operate under ADAC Beteiligungs- und Wirtschaftsdienst GmbH, which assumes the holding function. Via its subsidiary ADAC Luftrettung ( lit. ' ADAC Air Rescue ' ), the ADAC operates the largest fleet of ambulance helicopters in Germany. The Allgemeiner Deutscher Automobil-Club (ADAC) was founded on 24 May 1903, at the then- Hotel Silber in Stuttgart . It
1750-477: The largest magazines in Germany. The magazine is distributed four times a year to ADAC members, and features articles of common interest to all participants of public traffic, such as product tests, safe driving tips, and places to visit by car or motorcycle . Since 2020, ADAC Motorwelt has been available to membership card holders at local ADAC offices, travel agencies, and driver safety locations, as well as Edeka and Netto supermarkets. In 2006, ADAC published
1800-400: The length of Germany designated as such. The ADAC established its own technical centre at Landsberg am Lech near Munich in 1997. Technical tests regularly include cars, tyres, child restraint systems, pedelecs , safety helmets, and accessories such as roof boxes. New products and technologies are tested as soon as they become available. The German Federal Motor Transport Authority recognised
1850-570: The members of the ADAC Committee. The General Assembly is composed of the delegates of the regional clubs, the members of the ADAC Administrative Council, and an ADAC Committee. One delegate represents 100,000 regional club members (or a fraction thereof). By unanimous vote, the Committee may bestow honorary membership on persons from Germany or abroad in recognition of special merits in the cause of motoring. They enjoy
1900-426: The minimum content of the articles of association, but it is quite common to have a wide range of additional rules in the articles. Under German law, the GmbH must have a minimum founding capital of €25,000 (§ 5 I GmbHG), of which €12,500 has to be raised before registering in the commercial register (§ 7 II GmbHG). A supervisory board ( Aufsichtsrat ) is required if the company has more than 500 employees; otherwise,
1950-584: The most common corporation form in Germany because the AG ( Aktiengesellschaft ), the other major company form corresponding to a stock corporation, was much more complicated to form and operate until recently. A GmbH is formed in three stages: the founding association, which is regarded as a private partnership with full liability of the founding partners/members; the founded company (often styled as "GmbH i.G.", with "i.G." standing for in Gründung – literally "in
2000-500: The name ADAC-Straßenwacht ("road patrol"). In 1954, Heinz Frölich became the first of 56 ADAC patrolmen equipped with a motorcycle and sidecar, the latter of which had a large compartment filled with tools and parts for roadside repairs. These original "Gelber Engel" ("Yellow Angels") used NSU Konsul motorcycles. At the end of 1962, ADAC announced the retirement of their motorbike-sidecar combinations, which would be replaced by 40 appropriately equipped Volkswagen Beetles . Equipment on
2050-415: The new cars included a flashing roof light, repair tools, a radio communication device, compressed air canisters, a spade and broom set, and a basic "doctor kit" incorporating blood plasma . In 1974, the organisation had 3.8 million members at a time when there were 19.0 million passenger cars registered in Germany. By 1990, membership had risen to 10.2 million, with 35.5 million passenger cars registered in
ADAC - Misplaced Pages Continue
2100-598: The newly constituted seven-strong ADAC Committee. The term of office of the Committee members is four years, with re-elections allowed. Committee meetings are attended by the Chief Legal Advisor. In November 2019, the General Assembly in Munich adopted a new Premium membership, adding numerous features to the existing Plus membership, adjusted membership fees for the available tiers. It adopted generally amended Articles of Association to better differentiate between
2150-405: The previous years, the breakdowns were usually due to problems with the battery . As of 2020, the ADAC operated 55 air ambulance helicopters for urgent medical rescues in Germany, strategically placed so that any location can be reached within 15 minutes. Air ambulance jets are used by the ADAC to serve "Plus" members or ADAC international travel insurance customers from any location worldwide in
2200-499: The risk and the severity of accidents, and would help avoid motorway fatalities and severe injuries to the order of hundreds. In 2020, the ADAC was quoted as no longer principally opposing Autobahn speed limits and said to have ceased making recommendations to policymakers on the issue. As of 2009, the European Campaign for Safe Road Design was a partnership between 28 major European road safety stakeholders that called for
2250-559: The road network, the European Movement Germany network and EuropeNet24, a Europe-wide breakdown assistance network for large goods vehicles . In 2014 the club had a yield of €911 million (profit €25 million) and the ADAC holding company ADAC Beteiligungs- und Wirtschaftsdienst GmbH had a yield of €1,004 million (profit €84.9 million). For the fiscal year 2019, ADAC e.V.'s earnings year from membership stood at €10.1 million. Including financial and holdings earnings,
2300-538: The same rights and privileges as regular members. In December 2014, August Markl was elected ADAC President. In May 2019 Over 200 delegates at the General Assembly at the Nürburgring elected Ulrich Klaus Becker as Vice President, Karsten Schulze as Technical Services President, Gerhard Hillebrand as Transport President, and Jens Kuhfuß as Finance President. With President August Markl, ADAC Sport President Hermann Tomczyk, and Tourism President Kurt Heinen, they formed
2350-549: Was forced to stop operations. In 1951, the ADAC started to organise assistance outside Germany. In 1954 breakdown assistance services were resumed by establishing the ADAC Straßenwacht . In 1990, the road patrol started covering the New Länder . As of 2007, the ADAC operated a fleet of more than 1,700 yellow road patrol vehicles, nicknamed "Yellow Angels". In the 1960s and 1970s, the yellow Volkswagen Beetles were
2400-551: Was originally named the Deutsche Motorradfahrer-Vereinigung (German Motorcyclist Association). In 1911, due to an enormous growth in the membership of car owners, it was renamed the Allgemeiner Deutscher Automobil-Club (ADAC). The Prussian eagle was selected as the emblem on the club's badge in appreciation of the Prussian royal family's support and patronage. Its most senior figure at the time
2450-532: Was registered as a gGmbH (a non-profit company). At the end of 2019, ADAC had 21.2 million members. According to its article of association , the ADAC's responsibilities lie in the "representation, promotion and advocacy of motoring, motorsport [...] interests" and is dedicated to road traffic, road safety , road safety education, tourism, and the protection of road users' rights. The ADAC has been working closely with its Austrian counterpart, Österreichischer Automobil-, Motorrad- und Touring Club (ÖAMTC), and
2500-574: Was the German Emperor and King of Prussia, Wilhelm II . The ADAC breakdown assistance service was launched in Germany in 1927 under the name of ADAC-Straßen-Hilfsdienst . After 1933, during Gleichschaltung , the Nazi Party amalgamated all motoring organisations in Germany into the DDAC ( Der Deutsche Automobil-Club e.V.), an umbrella association that was allowed to exist in the shadow of
#826173