Verband der Zoologischen Gärten

The Verband der Zoologischen Gärten ("Association of Zoological Gardens"; VdZ), until 2014 Verband Deutscher Zoodirektoren (German Federation of Zoo Directors, VDZ), is the leading association of scientifically managed zoological gardens in German-speaking countries. A zoo is considered to be scientifically managed if it is run by a director with an academic education, usually a biologist or a veterinarian, and if he or she follows and implements scientific standards of zoology, conservation, and zoo pedagogy.

History

The association was founded in 1887, making it the oldest zoo association in the world. It originated from the annual meetings of zoo directors from the European area at the animal auctions in the zoo Antwerp. From the 1920s, the association expanded through members from Central and Northern Europe. He became the nucleus of the first International Zoodirektorenverbandes, which was founded in 1935 at the annual convention in Basel. In 1946, after the Second World War, the reestablishment of the International Zoodirektorenverband took place. The VDZ was reconstituted in 1951. In 1987, exactly 100 years after its founding, the VDZ attended its annual conferenceRheine a new statute, which made the loose association with its annual meetings a registered association with a solid association structure. From 2009 until relocation to Berlin in 2015, the office of the association was in Bern.