The first international Rotaract Club in a non-English Speaking Country was founded in 2002. The idea of international clubs is basically to have a club for international people who visit a city or a country for studies or for internships abroad. With English as club language it is much easier for people from other countries to join meetings due to reduced language barriers.

More than 50 young and very engaged people at an age from 17 to 30 met at a hotel in Munich for the first meeting of the new Rotaract Club in March 2002. Only one month later this club had its founding party at Hofbräukeller on April 18th. The club was founded by its Sponsoring Rotary Club München-Martinsried with support of the Rotary Clubs Munich-International and München-Englischer Garten and the Rotaract Club München.

The club started immediately with its projects, the first service project in Munich was doing events with children from a refugee camp. We organized a big summer party with BBQ at the refugee camp in München-Neuhausen and had some events, e.g. going to theater or cinema with the children from the refugee camp every six weeks.

The first international event was a donation of school equipment and toys for children in Romania which was done in cooperation with Munich’s Tierschutzverein.

In December 2002 the Rotaract Clubs München and Munich-International organized the social event “Rotatact verzaubert…” making children from poor families and orphans watch “Harry Potter and the chamber of secrets” at a big cinema in Munich. Before watching the movie Saint Nikolaus and some angles came to bring some special presents which were drawn to the children in a tombola.

In April 2004 the Rotaract Club Munich-International invited all other clubs in and around Munich to its founding charter at the Künstlerhaus. In 2006 the Rotaract club moved its meeting location to the room Allotria at the Künstlerhaus.

One of many service projects was the first Facebook Advent calendar in 2011 with 24 quotes of known German people of interest who told their opinion on the topic organ donation. The aim of this event and of the “Bundessozialaktion” Impuls was making people think about organ donation and to make their own personal decision pro or con signing an Organ donor card. The big idea of this Advent calendar was gaining at minimum 2,400 likes until 24th of December, only then the Rotaract Club Munich-International would donate 2,400 EUR to “Junge Helden e.V.”. With some financial and personal support of the Rotary Clubs Munich-International, München-Martinsried, München-Münchner Freiheit, München-Bogenhausen and München-100 the bet was won. The Rotaract Club Munich International won the third price of the Best Act ( annually prize by Förderverein der Rotaract Clubs deutscher Distrikte e.V.) at the Deutschland Konferenz at Darmstadt. At Darmstadt also the festive handover of the 2,400 EUR cheque took place as-well.

In May 2014 the Rotaract Club Munich-International celebrated its 10th Charter anniversary together with Rotaractors from all over Germany and Rotarians from its sponsoring club Rotary Club München-Martinsried and Rotary Club Munich-International and also from some other Rotary clubs in and around Munich. We thank all of you who took part in this for the amazing weekend!