Ukrainian Women's Alliance in Germany

Ukrainian Women's Alliance in Germany [Об’єднання українських жінок у Німеччині; Obiednannia ukrainskykh zhinok u Nimechchyni, or ОУЖ; OUZh; German: Ukrainische Frauenverband]. An association formed in 1945 to serve the cultural, educational, and material needs of the Ukrainian displaced persons in Germany. OUZh set up a network of nurseries and schools, trained nursery teachers, made contact with German and other émigré women's organizations (see Women's movement), and published the monthly Hromadianka (1946–50) and quarterly Zhinochyi informatsiinyi lystok (1962–) as well as various brochures on Ukrainian women and folk art. In 1947 its membership peaked at 7,500 (72 branches); then it declined rapidly as many refugees emigrated overseas. In the 1960s OUZh had about 500 members organized in 16 branches, and in 1987 it had 186 members in 7 branches. Its head office is in Munich. It has financed two Ukrainian schools and three day-care centers; provided care for elderly members; sent parcels to political prisoners in the USSR and poor Ukrainian families in Poland, Brazil, and Yugoslavia; and given bursaries to Ukrainian student refugees from Poland and Ukraine. The presidents of the alliance have been Iryna Pavlykovska (1945–50), O. Pavlovska (1950–8), O. Sulyma-Blokhyn (1958–66), O. Yarymovych (1966–9), and O. Steiner (since 1969). A history of OUZh was published in Munich in 1980.

[This article originally appeared in the Encyclopedia of Ukraine, vol. 5 (1993).]