It's a regular weekday evening at the bowling alley in Köpenick, a leafy district in the south-east of Berlin.

Dressed in matching shirts, a local team has occupied four of the 16 lanes. A group of women play in the lane opposite, next to a father practising with his children. The noise of crashing pins blends with a steady stream of chatter and the occasional plop of beer bottles being opened.

For the players, the Kegelverein — bowling club — is little more than a pleasant place to unwind. For analysts keen to understand what makes Germany tick, however, it holds much deeper meaning — and a possible clue to the secret of the nation’s consensual style of politics, on display again in campaigning for this month’s election.

The Köpenick Kegelverein is part of a vast tapestry of clubs and associations that dominate social life in Germany. The country's 600,000-odd Vereine — the number is growing every year — bring together millions of citizens for a variety of pursuits, in an organised, rules-based manner.

Some Vereine are dedicated to sports, others to cultural activities, some are conservative, others bizarre. There are clubs for dog owners, rabbit breeders and stamp collectors, for small people and tall people, for admirers of Marcel Proust and fans of Elvis Presley.

The clubs allow people to practice the rules of democracy on a smaller stage . . . even the sports club has a political function

“The world of the Vereine is still flourishing,” says Joost Schoemer, president of the BDVV, the umbrella organisation for clubs. “People like getting together, people like the sense of community, and they like getting organised. It’s just a typical German thing.”

Despite the solitary allure of computer games and blockbuster television series, one in two Germans belongs to at least one club. The number has risen steadily, from 417,000 in 1995 to 603,000 last year. In Berlin alone, two new Vereine are registered every day.

The level of activity is striking, not least when set against other European countries. According to Eurostat, almost 30 per cent of Germans say they participate in “formal voluntary activities”, compared to 20 per cent across the EU. In southern countries such as Spain and Italy, the share is little more than 10 per cent.

“In Germany, we don’t see a retreat into the private,” says Anaël Labigne, a Berlin-based expert on civil society at the Stifterverband, a joint research and education initiative by German companies and foundations.

Analysts say the role of Germany’s clubs extends far beyond organising the nation’s social life. The Vereine function like “schools of democracy”, they argue, teaching members how to progress collectively, resolve internal disputes and accept the will of the majority, and helping soften social conflicts by bringing together people from different walks of life.

According to Mr Schoemer, Vereine preach the value of consensus, and show that “as long as you abide by the rules, everyone is welcome”.

Germany has been largely spared the bitter political and social rifts that have haunted other western countries. The country will hold a general election two weeks from now, after a remarkably placid campaign. Most likely, the next government will be another broad-based coalition much like the left-right alliance that has governed Germany for the past four years.

Analysts caution that the origins of Germany’s consensual politics are complex and varied, but argue thatthe clubs have at least a strong supporting role.

“The Vereine allow people to practise the rules of democracy on a smaller stage” and help “smooth the edges” of members holding extreme positions, says Eckhard Priller, co-director of research at the Munich-based Maecenata Institute. “You elect a president, you have to stick to the rules, you have the right to give your opinion but in the end the majority decides. In that sense, even the sports club has a political function.”

Robert Putnam, a US sociologist, highlighted the crucial social role played by clubs in his 2000 book Bowling Alone. He bemoaned the decline of “social capital” in the US, evidenced by the fall in membership of political parties, trade unions and volunteer groups and of organised leisure activities such as bowling leagues.

Part of that decline is mirrored in Germany: unions, churches and political parties have all shed members in recent years. But the Vereine are still buoyant. One growth area in the wake of Germany’s 2015 refugee crisis are clubs that help integrate new migrants. So-called Fördervereine, or support clubs, which fund and back schools, theatres, orchestras and other institutions, are also booming, says Mr Labigne.

Back in Köpenick, Frank Ziegler can look back on more than 40 years as a volunteer in the Kegelverein world. He currently serves as president of the Berliner Sportkeglerverein, which brings together dozens of smaller clubs. This means two hours of unpaid work a day, but “someone has to do it”, he says.

For Mr Ziegler, the Verein is a place to make friends and experience “community”. The key to a successful club, however, is commitment.

There are bowling clubs in Berlin, he says, where you show up every Monday at a quarter past two, no matter what. “The only excuse that is acceptable,” Mr Ziegler adds, “is your own death.”

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Clubs’ popularity reflects greater civic cohesion / From Omar Daair﻿

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