Whiletechnical safety in the Soviet-occupied zone became a governmentalresponsibility, control association in the West could reestablish themselves.
Atfirst, they operated in an essentially undetermined legal situationwithout official recognition, but tolerated by the authority of allies. Still,before the founding of the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany), most ofthe regional organisations were affiliated in association in 1948 and 1949.
Basedon new charters, the West German TÜV organisations have become autonomous again.The principle of joining voluntarily once again replaced mandatory membershipwhich was introduced in 1938.
