The VDE is the German Association for Electrical, Electronic and Information Technologies, a professional body based in Frankfurt am Main. It was founded as Verband Deutscher Elektrotechniker (Association of German Electrical Engineers) in Berlin in 1893 and renamed itself to Verband der Elektrotechnik, Elektronik und Informationstechnik in 1998. The VDE has as of 2005[update] some 33,000 members.