Alfred Toepfer Foundation FVS

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The Alfred Toepfer Foundation FVS is a non-profit foundation committed to promoting European understanding while preserving cultural diversity. It is present across Europe in the fields of art and culture, science, nature conservation and youth and awards four prizes: the KAIROS Prize , the Freiherr vom Stein Prize , the Max Brauer Prize and the CULTURA Prize.

The foundation was established by the Hamburg businessman and farmer Alfred C. Toepfer (1894–1993) at the turn of the year 1931/1932 as the FV S foundation. According to Toepfer, the abbreviation "FVS" refers to the Prussian reformer Freiherr vom Stein .

History and function

The foundation is still controversial today because of the difficult relationship between founder Alfred Toepfer and National Socialism . At the beginning of the 1990s, the cultural history research group in Vienna launched violent attacks on the newly established Grillparzer Prize (which was discontinued after three awards) and the continuity of the Herder Prize . In 1996 the Strasbourg Prize, created in 1962 for contributions to Franco-German understanding, had to be discontinued due to ongoing protests against the founder. The foundation took this as an opportunity in 1997 to have the work of the foundation and the founder examined by an independent commission. The results presented on December 11, 2000 found, on the one hand, that Toepfer “never shared the central goals and motives of the leading National Socialists”, “Racism and anti-Semitism were far removed from him” (Mommsen, Kreis et al.). On the other hand, through the awarding of cultural prizes, his work showed a great deal of proximity to National Socialist national politics, with whose party officials he was in contact. A friendly encounter is noted in Joseph Goebbels' diaries . The commission also noted and criticized a personal continuity in the foundation's committees from the time of National Socialism to the recent past, for example through the function of the former Nazi State Secretary in the Ministry of Food, Hans-Joachim Riecke, as authorized signatory of the foundation the avoidance of “self-critical analyzes of the past” by the founder himself, however, also attested that he was able to learn and turned away from extreme nationalism. ( Lit .: Kreis et al.)

Nevertheless, this work-up commissioned by the Foundation did not prevent the Foundation from being reproached for Alfred Toepfer's relationship to National Socialism. In 2005, the French theater director Ariane Mnouchkine refused to accept the Hansian Goethe Prize . In 2010 the British historian Michael Pinto-Duschinsky called for the Hanseatic Scholarschips to be discontinued at Oxford University. After Birte Toepfer, the last family member of the founder (she was Alfred Toepfer's daughter-in-law), left the board, the foundation initiated a restructuring of the foundation program in 2004. One of the goals was to streamline the multitude of prizes and grants that had grown historically and to transfer the funds into an operational program. This process was completed in 2007.

From the 1960s to the 1980s, in addition to its role in promoting cultural diversity, the foundation also played an important role as a major source of capital for the Alfred C. Toepfer company . The foundation's assets grew from 50 million DM in 1963 to 84 million DM in 1970 and 185 million DM in 1985. The capital of Alfred C. Toepfer Verwaltungsgesellschaft , founded as a personally liable partner for the company, had already been transferred to the foundation in 1961.

To this day (2015), the history of the FVS Foundation and the biography of its founder Alfred Toepfer remain the subject of scientific research and critical monitoring of the foundation's activities. The Foundation regularly updates and publishes relevant publications and debates.

Culture prizes during the National Socialism

Overview of all prizes, which - according to Stifter - should draw a wall around Binnendeutschtum (intended purpose from 1932):

Various

Nicolaus Copernicus Prize

Intended for the “Germanness in Poland”, later “in former Poland”. Awarded by the Silesian Friedrich Wilhelms University in Breslau. Prize winners:

Board of Trustees: Hermann Aubin ; Ernst Birch ; Günther Grundmann ; Viktor Kauder; Hans Koch (V); Walter Kuhn ; Alfred Lattermann ; Kurt Lück

Prince Eugene of Savoy Prize

Intended for “Germanness in the Southeast”, awarded by the University of Vienna. Prize winners:

Board of Trustees: Carl Freiherr von Bardolff ; Otto Brunner ; Hugo Hassinger (V); Hans Hirsch ; Josef Nadler ; Rudolf Spek ; Heinrich Ritter von Srbik

Shakespeare Prize

Intended for “Anglo-Saxonism”, primarily in the United Kingdom. Awarded by the Hansische Universität, Hamburg. Prize winners:

Board of Trustees: Hans Friedrich Blunck ; Hermann Fiedler; Hans Grimm ; Adolf Rein (managing director); Rudolf Sieverts

For the winners from 1967 onwards, see below.

Rembrandt Prize

Intended for the "Dutch-Low German people". Awarded by the Hansische Universität, Hamburg. Prize winners:

Board of Trustees: Hans Friedrich Blunck ; Conrad Borchling (V); Antoon Jacob; Adolf Rein (managing director); Geerto Aeilko Sebo Snijder; Anton Johan van Vessem

Ossian Prize

Designed for the "Celtic-Nordic folk". Awards should be made by the Hansische Universität, Hamburg. However, there were no awards. Board of Trustees: Leo Weisgerber .

Former prices after 1949

Shakespeare Prize from 1967

After Queen Elizabeth II's visit to Hamburg, the prize was reissued and awarded until 2006. It was dedicated to the Anglo-Saxon part in the maintenance of the European cultural heritage and the promotion of supranational attitudes and humanitarian endeavors and was linked to a one-year scholarship at a German university for a recipient chosen by the winner. The winners were:

Current prices

The reform of the foundation and the multiple rejection of awards led to the tightening of the award program. Many prizes were discontinued and were last awarded in 2006. After that, the number of prizes awarded by the foundation was reduced to four.

  • The foundation's KAIROS European Culture Prize, endowed with 75,000 euros , has been awarded to young artists and cultural mediators from the fields of visual and performing arts, music, architecture, film, photography, literature and journalism since 2007. An independent board of trustees decides on the award of the prizes.
  • The Freiherr vom Stein Prize for social innovation, endowed with 25,000 euros , honors personalities who work with initiative and foresight for the common good.
  • The Max Brauer Prize has been awarded annually since 1993 for services to the cultural, scientific and intellectual life of Hamburg.
  • The CULTURA Prize recognizes exemplary research or work approaches in the fields of nature conservation, agriculture, agricultural research and forestry.

Duties of the foundation

Invest in people

In the priority area Investing in People , the foundation directly supports people through grants, prizes and the European Funding Network :

  • Alfred Toepfer Scholarship Program
    • Alfred Toepfer Scholarship - is aimed at students and doctoral candidates from Central and Eastern Europe who are preparing their degree at a German-speaking university, as well as for German students and doctoral candidates who are planning a one-year study visit to Central and Eastern Europe.
    • Herder Scholarships - supports students from Central and Eastern Europe who are preparing for their degree at a university in Vienna.
    • Masefield Study Prize - for young musicians at the Hamburg University of Music and Theater
    • Masefield Scholarship - The foundation awards a one-year scholarship to students at the University of Music and Theater every year at the suggestion of the Hamburg University of Music and Theater.
    • Voltaire Scholarship - awarded to young German and French researchers who are planning a study or research stay at a university or institution in the neighboring country, in cooperation with the Académie de Berlin
    • Hanseatic Scholarship for Britons - for students from the universities of Oxford and Cambridge who continue their studies or research at a German university for one to two years
    • Alfred Toepfer Scholarships for Nature Conservation - Awarded on the proposal of the Europarc Federation
    • “In between” - In its experimental program area “Contemporary Questions”, the foundation asks various filmmakers for answers. For this reason, in autumn 2010 it will award the scriptwriting grant “In between” to graduates of the Hamburg Media School.
    • Archive grant - The Alfred Toepfer Foundation FVS provides an archive grant for scientific research into the history of Alfred Töpfers, his foundations and companies.
  • During the meetings within the European Funding Network , the recipients can get to know each other, present their projects and make contacts.

"Present questions"

Foundations have the opportunity to raise and work on relevant questions with great independence. The foundation uses this freedom in particular in its experimental program area, which is given a new direction every five years: Here it formulates questions of social, artistic or scientific importance.

From 2010 to 2015, the foundation posed ten exemplary selected “contemporary questions”. By 2010 she initiated a “Value Dialogue”.

Social innovation

  • “Concerto 21 ” - the summer academy for performance culture and music management is looking for new, contemporary concert forms and teaches young musicians how to live not only from music but also from music.
    • "Teaching n - Impulse for Scientific Teaching" is a further training and network offer for executives in science and in academic management.
  • The Eurolecture guest lecturer program for innovation in teaching gives German universities the opportunity to invite young European scientists to their university as lecturers.
  • The Fellowship for Cultural Innovation promotes innovative project ideas from European cultural institutions and makes it easier for young graduates to start their careers.

Special areas

Hamburg moments

  • Personalities and institutions who have made a special contribution to the cultural, intellectual or scientific life of the city of Hamburg are awarded the Max Brauer Prize every year .
  • The Masefield Awards support young musicians from the Hamburg University of Music and Art. In this context, the Masefield concerts take place twice a year, in which the three scholarship holders design the evening program themselves.
  • In the “Initiativkreis Hamburger Stiftungen”, the Alfred Toepfer Foundation FVS promotes the foundation concept in Hamburg together with various larger Hamburg foundations and initiatives. The “Initiativkreis Hamburger Stiftungen” includes the “Zeit Foundation”, the “Körber Foundation”, the “Patriotic Society”, the “Hermann Reemtsma Foundation”, the “Community Foundation” and the “Joachim Herz Foundation”.
  • One of the places of lively dialogue in Hamburg is the “Elbehaus” with the informal event series “Elbehaus Talks” .

nature @ toepfer-fvs

The promotion of nature conservation and the nature park concept have always been a particular concern of the foundation. With her special section “natur @ toepfer-fvs” she continues to develop the traditional commitment in this area in a contemporary way and is breaking new ground.

  • The CULTURA Prize recognizes exemplary research or work approaches in the fields of nature conservation, agriculture, agricultural research and forest science.
  • With the “NatuRegio Expert Program for Nature Conservation and Regional Development in Southeastern Europe” , the foundation promotes nature conservation and nature park ideas in Romania and Bulgaria .
  • At the “Schulbauernhof Wilsede” school classes from 3rd to 6th grade in Hamburg have the opportunity to experience the Lüneburg Heath Nature Reserve and work on a farm for a week. This farm is an environmental education project of the “VNP Foundation Nature Conservation Park”.

Bodies

The Board of Trustees has nine members. Jürgen Schlaeger is chairman and Ulrich Bopp is deputy chairman (as of August 2011). Ansgar Wimmer is the chairman of the board, Andreas Holz is a member of the board of the Alfred Toepfer Foundation FVS

literature

  • Georg Kreis , Gerd Krumeich , Henri Ménudier, Hans Mommsen , Arnold Sywottek (eds.): Alfred Toepfer. Founder and businessman. Building blocks of a biography - critical inventory . Christians Verlag, Hamburg 2000, ISBN 3-7672-1373-7 .
  • Jan Zimmermann : The FVS Foundation's Culture Awards 1935–1945. Presentation and documentation. Edited by Alfred Toepfer Foundation FVS, Christians, Hamburg 2000, ISBN 3-7672-1374-5 .
  • Jan Zimmermann: Alfred Toepfer. Edited by ZEIT Foundation , Ebelin and Gerd Bucerius . Ellert & Richter, Hamburg 2008 ISBN 978-3-8319-0295-8 ( Hamburg heads ).
  • Georg Kreis : Doubtful handling of “doubtful past”. On the ongoing dispute over the Alfred Toepfer Foundation. In: Prehistory to the Present. Selected Essays, Volume 3, pp. 501-523. Schwabe, Basel 2005
  • Karl Heinz Roth : Alfred C. Toepfer , in: Michael Fahlbusch , Ingo Haar , Alexander Pinwinkler (Hrsg.): Handbuch der Völkischen Wissenschaften. Actors, networks, research programs . 2 vol., Berlin 2017, ISBN 978-3-11-042989-3 , pp. 825-843.
  • Lionel Boissou: Foundation FVS Hamburg and Johann Wolfgang Goethe Foundation Vaduz , in: Michael Fahlbusch, Ingo Haar, Alexander Pinwinkler (eds.): Handbuch der Völkischen Wissenschaften. Actors, networks, research programs . 2 vol., Berlin 2017, ISBN 978-3-11-042989-3 , pp. 2007–2222.
  • Dieter Tiemann: The history of the Strasbourg Prize 1963–1996: "The priority was to clear up the Franco-German relationship". Series: Accents for Europe. Christians, Hamburg 2001 (without ISBN)

Web links

Commons : Alfred Toepfer Foundation FVS  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Cf. words of welcome by Mr. Alfred Toepfer, chairman of the FVS Foundation, on the occasion of the celebratory dinner on October 26, 1950, in: FVS Foundation in Hamburg: The Fritz Schumacher Prize 1950, pp. 17-19, here: p. 17. There it says literally: "The foundation derives its name from Freiherr vom Stein, who at the time brought about contemporary social satisfaction by abolishing serfdom and restoring civil liberty in the cities."
  2. ↑ Friedrich Denk : The censorship of those born later. Weilheim i. OB 1996 (3rd edition), p. 17, names Angela Gruber as its chairman.
  3. ↑ See the debates in the FORVM magazine at the time
  4. ↑ Gina Thomas: Alfred Toepfer: Patrons in the twilight. Good money, dark intent? FAZ.net on April 8, 2010
  5. ^ Jan Zimmermann: Alfred Toepfer. Ellert & Richter, Hamburg 2008, p. 129.
  6. ^ Jan Zimmermann: Alfred Toepfer. Ellert & Richter, Hamburg 2008, p. 195.
  7. ↑ DEBATES ON THE HISTORY OF THE FOUNDATION (2005 - 2015) , accessed on June 16, 2015
  8. ↑ Member of Parliament for the Nationaal-Socialistische Bewegungsing in Nederland (NSB) ; see Jan Zimmermann 2008, p. 66
  9. ↑ Kulturpreise.de
  10. ^ Theater director Mnouchkine rejects Goethe Prize, Deutschlandfunk, April 18, 2005, interview with Hans Mommsen
  11. ↑ toepfer-fvs.de: ( Memento from November 5, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) (PDF; 46 kB)
  12. ↑ Culture Awards , accessed on May 25, 2016.
  13. ↑ Website at Culture Awards
  14. ^ The prices of the Alfred Toepfer Foundation FVS ( Memento from February 23, 2007 in the Internet Archive )