The Society for the German Language (GfdS) is a politically independent membership association for the cultivation and research of the German language and is based in Wiesbaden. Since its foundation in 1947, it has seen it as its task to deepen public awareness of the German language and to make its function in the global context visible. The GfdS has set itself the goal of critically observing language development and making recommendations for general language use on the basis of scientific research.

The GfdS is funded by the Federal Government (Commissioner for Culture and the Media) and by the governments of the federal states (Conference of Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs).

An important focus of the GfdS's work is advising private individuals, companies, authorities and institutions who approach the GfdS with questions and requests for information or expert opinions. The language consultants answer questions on spelling and grammar, style and expression, but also on the registrability of first names; they check texts and prepare expert opinions.

The editorial staff of the Society for the German Language at the German Bundestag checks draft laws and ordinances for linguistic accuracy and comprehensibility. It works for the parliamentary legislative process and offers language advice for the Bundestag and the ministries.

The GfdS publishes the two journals "Der Sprachdienst" and "Die Muttersprache" and publishes books on special topics.

"Der Sprachdienst" emerged from the practical work of the GfdS in 1957 and is still its newsletter today. It is aimed at a broad audience with an interest in language and publishes articles on all aspects of contemporary German. The regularly published overviews "Words of the Year" and "The Most Popular First Names" are well known.

The magazine "Muttersprache. Vierteljahresschrift für deutsche Sprache" is the linguistic organ of the GfdS. It is also aimed at a wide audience and aims to act as a bridge between specialist scholars and the linguistically interested public.

Every two years, the GfdS awards the "Media Prize for Language Culture" in a public ceremony, which recognizes outstanding services to language and speech culture in the media. In addition, the "Alexander Rhomberg Prize" is awarded in cooperation with the Alexander Rhomberg Foundation, a prize for young journalists. The Hans Oelschläger Prize for language criticism will be added in 2014.

The Gesellschaft für deutsche Sprache maintains volunteer-run branches in many places in Germany and abroad. It currently has over 100 branches in all of Germany's federal states and in almost 40 countries on four continents. Every year, around 170 lectures, panel discussions and author evenings are offered to the public worldwide.

The German Language Society is a member of the German Spelling Council and the German Language Council, to which the Goethe-Institut (GI), the Institute for the German Language (IDS) and the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) also belong. Above all, it is committed to ensuring that the German language does not lose its importance in Europe and the world.

The GfdS currently has around 3,000 members in Germany and abroad. They come from all sections of the population. The GfdS is not a specialist association or a professional Germanist organization, but is open to all those interested in the German language.