The WUDC host community: VDCH Land

The Berlin Debating Union may be the host society of the WUDC Berlin 2013 but as the organizing team has grown since its beginning in 2010, it has also spread far beyond Berlin. Today most Berlin Worlds organizers are, in fact, from other cities. This world championship has become a project occupying people all over Germany, and beyond.

This is working so well because the debating societies of the German-speaking area form a unified, well-organized debate circuit, often referred to as "VDCH Land". The VDCH is the umbrella association for more than 70 clubs in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Italy. VDCH Land has a common, German-language tournament series (called ZEIT DEBATTEN, after the main sponsor) and debate league (Freie Debattierliga). Also, there are a common “national”/language-area championship and regional championships, run by the VDCH and organized by its member societies. These institutions, comprising about 15 tournaments each year, keep VDCH Land together and make it a strong community.