In 1866, Friedrich Wilhelm Raiffeisen published his guide 'The Loan Fund Associations as a Means to Alleviate Distress...' for the first time. In it, he described his experiences in the fight against usury and the impoverishment of the rural population through the establishment of cooperatively organized loan funds. Raiffeisen's first book significantly contributed to the spread of the cooperative idea. Even today, this idea continues to exert its influence, and Raiffeisen is widely recognized as one of its founding fathers. However, how many of today's cooperators have actually read his groundbreaking work?

150 years after its initial publication, this reprint aims to bring Raiffeisen's cooperative efforts closer to new generations. As a contribution to preserving original thought, it invites readers to immerse themselves in the mindset of the cooperative pioneer, thereby getting to know the whole person, his views, ideas, and reflections better.