Carnegie Hero Trust Fund
Carnegie Hero Trust Funds are foundations set up by Andrew Carnegie to honor particularly selfless people and to provide support to rescuers or their survivors in the event of injury or death.
Impressed by the courageous actions of two men who in 1904 rescued many people trapped in a mine accident at risk of death, but died together with 179 other men, Andrew Carnegie founded Carnegie Hero Trust Funds in eleven countries, which were supposed to honor particularly selfless people. The foundations also provide financial aid to injured rescuers or the bereaved relatives of deceased rescuers.
Carnegie established the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission as the first Hero Trust Fund in America in 1904 . In 1908 the Carnegie Hero Trust Fund was founded in Great Britain. Others followed in France, Germany (1910), Belgium, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland (1911 each).
Carnegie Foundation in Germany
History of the foundation in Germany (extracts)
In a letter to the German Emperor on September 22, 1910, the establishment of the foundation was personally suggested by Andrew Carnegie and implemented under the protectorate of the then emperor.
An imperial decree says: “With the capital of 1.25 million dollars made available by The Honorable Andrew Carnegie, a foundation was set up under the name 'Carnegie Foundation for Lifesavers' through which His Majesty the German Emperor and King of Prussia want to take over the protectorate the grace. "
On December 17, 1910, Andrew Carnegie signed the articles of association and on December 31, 1910, the foundation was established by the following letter: “On the report of December 29, 1910 I want that of Mr. Andrew Carnegie with a capital of 1.25 Millions of dollars under the name 'Carnegie Foundation for Lifesavers' in Berlin established benevolent foundation on the basis of the subsequent statute of December 17, 1910 My sovereign approval.
Signed Wilhelm R. "
In 1912, Andrew Carnegie increased the foundation's capital by $ 250,000, bringing it to $ 1.5 million.
Timeline up to 1911:
- September 22, 1910: Andrew Carnegie writes to Kaiser Wilhelm II about his plan to establish a charitable foundation for lifesavers in Germany as well
- October 31, 1910: Answer from Wilhelm II. In which he announces his enthusiasm and active support for this noble idea
- December 17, 1910: Andrew Carnegie personally signs the Articles of Association of the Carnegie Lifesavers Foundation, which is patronized by the Emperor
- December 31, 1910: Wilhelm II approves the establishment of the foundation and puts the foundation's statutes into effect (statute 1910) and (letter of founding Andrew Carnegie)
In the period that followed, up to the end of World War I, the foundation received an average of up to 100 honors per year. In addition to one-time grants and pension payments, a rescue medal with the portrait of Andrew Carnegie was awarded by decision of the Board of Trustees on February 27, 1913.
The turmoil of the First World War and the accompanying inflation ensured that the foundation's work was continued at a very low level.
It was not until 1930 that the foundation's activities continued on a large scale. Another “reorganization” took place in 1934 under the Nazi regime. From 1939 contact with the foundation in Germany was completely lost, the regime-loyal board of directors no longer responded to any attempt at contact by the other 22 foundations, and contact with the Andrew Carnegie Group was lost forever.
Current developments
On October 5, 2005, representatives of the various Hero Funds met in Edinburgh City Hall, Scotland. a. the re-establishment of the Hero Fund (Carnegie Foundation for Lifesavers) in Germany. On April 15, 2006, the Carnegie Foundation for Lifesavers was re-established in Mannheim (legal form: registered association ).
In addition to honoring and supporting lifesavers or their survivors, the German Foundation awarded the Andrew Carnegie Medal of Honor once a year to organizations and people who have made a contribution to civil society.
The Carnegie Foundation Germany e. V. is now insolvent. The original goal of the association - to set up a foundation in accordance with the German Civil Code - could not be achieved.
The trademark rights and the remaining inventory were bought by the WICOM Germany GmbH from the insolvency administrator and thus saved from another downfall. WICOM is intensively reestablishing the foundation. In the meantime, the statutes are in cooperation with one representative each from WICOM (Brian Fera, managing partner), the DRK (Karl Demmer, member of the executive committee), the DLRG (Klaus Wilkens, president), the THW (Rainer Schwierczinski, vice president) and the Malteser ( Edmund Baur, Vice President) completed. The new establishment will soon take place in the form of a foundation. As in the other countries, the foundation will honor lifesavers again and will work closely with the foundations in the other countries, especially with Switzerland. The foundation is now active again under the umbrella of WICOM.
Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy
Andrew Carnegie's 23 foundations award the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy every 2 years. a. the Rockefeller family, the Gates family, and the Aga Khan .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Archived copy ( memento of the original from March 14, 2018 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
