The German capital can look forward to young. Several major foundations are coming to Berlin. Some because they escape from somewhere else. Other, because the policy had long been searching for the cooperation.
The list of Berlin-based foundations is a long one. The Berlin Senate lists 939 foundations. However, in comparison with other cities in Germany are still rather few. Berlin is 51, says the Federal Association of German foundations. Most of the foundations are located in the West of Germany, for example in Hamburg, Munich or Frankfurt am Main. So, where the money sits and companies have their headquarters. Because without money, no foundations.
By Definition, foundations have – in focus – the purpose of a private assets for charitable things, such as social work, culture or education. But Berlin is catching up – in a very private way.
Boom-Boom-Boom
Berlin has the reputation to be the most international city in Germany. In the city centre you can sometimes hear more English than German, because people from different countries meet each other that otherwise might not talk to each other. These are not only tourists, but also many of the New to Berlin. Meanwhile, the influx of foreigners is growing to Berlin stronger than the other regions of Germany. The internationally much-quoted Berlin-Hype.
The Boom began after the fall of the wall. It is the wild mid-90s, which are, in the meantime, admire sogarim Museum to be followed. “Poor, but sexy” was the official Image of the city, which was the Party metropolis. Since a couple of years, there are now more of the new digital economy and Start-Ups, the Berlin change. The Federal government, lobby, organisations and associations. Against the “Poor Image” speak now in the länder above average growth rates as well as tax surpluses.
Escape from Budapest to Berlin
The international orientation of Berlin’s fitting that major international foundations have found their way to Berlin. The largest branch is planning the George Soros founded “Open Society Foundation” (OSF). In a “Global Hub” to work 150 people. That would be then staff saw the largest Foundation in Berlin. Many employees will move from Budapest to Berlin. There is a new law on foundations of the Hungarian state has made further work impossible. The office in Budapest closes at the end of August.
The Foundation of the Hungarian-born US billionaire Soros closes its office in Budapest and moved to Berlin
In Berlin – directly at the famous Potsdamer Platz – work first staff. “We want to connect with the local scene, with other foundations, NGOs, activists and think tanks,” said the OSF regional Director, Jordi Vaquer, in a newspaper interview.
For the famous American billionaire Soros, this is not the first step to Berlin. Since last year, he was involved in the construction of a unique in the world, the Roma Institute in the German capital.
The long-term policy consequences
And Berlin can look forward to even more international prominence. In the fall, the largest private Foundation opens up the world a second European leg in Berlin – the other is London. The “Bill-and-Melinda-Gates-Foundation” fight against diseases such as Malaria and the fight against global poverty. Berlin is no stranger to Partner. Finally, the Foundation of the Microsoft-founder for years, for example, the development aid Ministry. The location was “ideal”, said the Europe-Director, Anja Langenbucher, in an Interview. Because Germany was “the second biggest donor for development aid and a champion for global health”.
Bill Gates at the Chancellery in Berlin, Angela Merkel (November 2014)
Also the second wealthiest Foundation in the world with a fortune of 13.4 billion pounds, still wants to open in 2018, with a branch in Berlin. The “Wellcome Trust” primarily promotes medical research. A handful of employees, that are only announced once, is to develop “strategic partnerships in Germany”, as reported in the press. On the Foundation website, the office opening is due, among other things, that the Federal government didn’t encounter during its G7 and G20 presidencies “significant progress” in the fight against global epidemics.
The beginning is made
It seems that the Trend is now in front of classical German foundations. The largest German media company, Bertelsmann AG, plans to open for the new year, a new site for its Foundation. 40 employees are expected to work in a Prime location between the new Berliner Schloss and the Federal foreign office. Only a stone’s throw away, the company has already removed a capital representation of the building, yet also a Foundation office. The Headquarters of the Bertelsmann Foundation, but, in any case, at the company’s headquarters in Gütersloh, Germany in the West, the company is apparently forced to communicate.
Experts expect that other foundations will follow suit. Berlin also benefits from Germany’s Image in General. The political turmoil elsewhere – not only in Hungary – the world, open and liberal Germany appear attractive. “The distrust of philanthropic work to the international” – quoted by the Berlin “Tagesspiegel”, the Secretary-General of the Federal Association of German foundations, Felix Oldenburg, Germany. In General, trust in institutions is disappearing, including foundations, warns of Oldenburg – see Soros-Foundation.
Whether Germany and Berlin remain as attractive for national and international foundations, also depends on the further political development. Finally, there is also in Germany a right-wing populist currents.
And, of course, the new Foundation’s staff would find it great if the new capital would open the airport finally. The construction began twelve years ago. But Berlin is in so many other respects, but a province, and not the really big, wide world.