Your professional network in Germany

With more than 6,000 members nationwide, the Bundesverband Deutscher Volks- und Betriebswirte (bdvb) is the largest face-to-face network of business academics and economists in Germany.

bdvb is a registered non-profit professional association dedicated to the common interest of our members. Membership fees are tax deductible. Students enrolled in related disciplines such as management, business administration, economics and political economy enjoy a reduced membership rate.

Our activities cover the fields of networking, services, and public advocacy.

bdvb is organised in local groups (Bezirksgruppen), student groups (Hochschulgruppen), and expert groups (Fachgruppen) covering various subfields such as healthcare management and economics, education policies, accounting and controlling, and European affairs. Events such as local meeting points, talks, panels and guided tours are organised on a voluntary basis by elected representatives of each group.

Our biannual flagship event, the bdvb Wirtschaftskongress, is a shared project co-hosted with WirtschaftsWoche, Germany’s leading weekly magazine on business trends and economic politics. Other partners include commercial networking clubs, research institutes, and specialised associations such as GABAL e.V. offering discount rates for bdvb members. bdvb members enjoy privileged access to a broad variety of trade fairs, congresses and recruitment events all over Germany.

Information on scheduled events is available from our Web-based event calendar, monthly newsletters, and social media channels.

For an annual fee of €149 (€53 for enrolled students, €100 for part-time students), bdvb members enjoy a number of valuable benefits.

Subscription to the quarterly bdvb aktuell as well as the weekly WirtschaftsWoche, Germany’s leading magazine on business trends and economic politics, is included in our membership. For members living abroad, only the electronic version (WirtschaftsWoche Digitalpass) is available. Additional journals such as Marketing Review St.Gallen are available on demand.

Discounts are available in medical insurance, car rental, fitness studios, and many more. Workshops and certificates from renowned universities are available at reduced cost through the bdvb akademie.

A service that can be extremely helpful for foreigners seeking employment in Germany is our free application advice offered by Claudia Frieling. Cost-free legal counsel up to fifteen minutes’ time is offered by Peters Rechtsanwälte, a Düsseldorf-based legal agency offering nationwide support in all fields of German civil law.

bdvb is not affiliated with any political party or movement. In 2015, the General Assembly adopted a political guidelines document prepared by a standing committee on economic, financial and social policies (Arbeitskreis Wirtschafts-, Finanz- und Sozialpolitik). Specific positions and statements are defined by the association’s steering committee (Präsidium), often based on surveys among our individual members. With around 50% of our members working in executive positions, we admit our social responsibility and claim our right to participate in public debates.

In general, bdvb defends the idea of an effective market economy in favour of the public good, general welfare, and Germany as a preferred location for business and industry. We endorse the European integration process and call for the introduction of a compulsory school subject covering economics, financial literacy and vocational guidance for all children across all federal states of Germany.

Together with 14 partner associations, political representation of our members is provided through the United Leaders Association at the national level and CEC European Managers at the European level.