On the occasion of its 50th anniversary, the Chemnitz addiction self-help group celebrated with a vibrant event on September 20, 2026, at the local Adventhaus. The celebration was marked together with the AWW self-help group for people with gambling addiction. This group, named "Rien ne va plus" ("Nothing goes anymore"), has now been in existence for 30 years and also holds its group sessions in the rooms of the Adventhaus Chemnitz.
Both groups had planned this festival as a joint celebration and organized it with such love and dedication that it was palpable. These people know the immeasurable value of their group, where they not only find support for themselves but also provide support to others.
Self-help groups are a safe space that people offer one another, as group participant Enrico shared in his welcoming address. He explained that no one has to appear strong when strength is lacking, and no one has to laboriously explain their situation because the person across from them knows exactly what this path feels like. "We share not only fears, doubts, and setbacks, but just as much laughter, small successes, and moments of genuine confidence."
Among the well-wishers and guests were representatives of the Saxony regional branch of the Advent-Wohlfahrtswerk (AWW), as the sponsor of the addiction self-help endeavors; the AWW Addiction Counseling and Treatment Center (SBB) in Chemnitz; the AWW self-help groups from Grimma, Leipzig, and Thalheim; as well as the Chemnitz Adventist Church.
Bernd began attending the group for help-seeking alcoholics almost from its founding and later led it until 2010. Founded by Manfred Berthold in 1976 at the Adventhaus Karl-Marx-Stadt, it was the first Adventist addiction support group in the former German Democratic Republic (GDR), commonly known as East Germany. In his speech, Bernd described the challenge faced by those struggling with addiction as the "art of turning a 'must' into a 'want'." Self-help groups can make a substantial contribution to this.
During the anniversary event, participants from both groups honored the self-help endeavors through public testimonies or personal conversations: "I have learned that I no longer have to lie to myself," said Reiner, a gambler who has since become free of his gambling habits. He added, "Without you, I would have been lost."
Visitors treated themselves to a culinary experience at a rich barbecue and cake buffet with delicious alcohol-free cocktails, converse with one another to the background sounds of traditional live music from the 1970s and 1980s, and also celebrate their groups together. The core tenor of many of these conversations was deep gratitude for the gift of their own group as well as for the support structure in which this group can endure.
Adventist addiction support in the former GDR essentially traces back to Pastor Hartmut Sensenschmidt (1937–2020). In the early 1970s, he established contact with the then-Protestant Working Group for the Defense Against Addiction Hazards (AGAS) and subsequently built a network that received an organizational framework in 1982 with the founding of the Addiction Vulnerability Service of the Adventist Church in the GDR. Beyond the establishment of addiction support and self-help groups in various locations, there were event formats for those affected, such as Anniversary Day (now Encounter Day), reflection weeks, rescued gatherings, or (later) retreat days for the yearning. The Chemnitz Addiction Counseling and Treatment Center, founded in 1994, is also a fruit of Adventist addiction support in the GDR, which passed into the sponsorship of the Advent-Wohlfahrtswerk following reunification.
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