David Nature Foundation

The Naturstiftung David (David Nature Foundation) is a German non-profit environmental foundation established in 1998 by BUND Thüringen, the Thuringian branch of Friends of the Earth Germany. Its work focuses on nature conservation, renewable energy, and energy efficiency, with a geographic emphasis on the new federal states of eastern Germany. The foundation was created from the proceeds of an out-of-court settlement between BUND Thüringen and the energy company VEAG (later Vattenfall Europe) concerning the construction of the Goldisthal pumped-storage power station. The settlement sum of 7 million Deutsche Mark formed the initial endowment, which today stands at approximately 3.65 million euros. Income from the endowment, invested according to ecological and social criteria, provides roughly 125,000 euros annually (inflation-adjusted) for the foundation's work. In addition, the foundation raises donations and third-party funds and cooperates with businesses. Since its founding, the Naturstiftung David has supported more than 530 projects with a total volume of around 1.5 million euros, according to its website. It funds environmental initiatives with up to 100,000 euros per year and carries out its own projects. Major achievements include securing up to 125,000 hectares of nationally significant conservation areas, such as the Hohe Schrecke nature reserve, and the "sonnenklar!" project, which has energetically renovated nearly 100 sports facilities in Thuringia, Saxony, and Saxony-Anhalt. The foundation is a member of the German Nature Conservation Ring (Deutscher Naturschutzring) and is based in Erfurt, Thuringia. It remains closely linked to its founder, BUND Thüringen, which has over 6,000 members and has been active since 1990.

The Naturstiftung David was founded in 1998 by BUND Thüringen, the Thuringian branch of Friends of the Earth Germany. Its creation stemmed from a legal dispute: in 1997, BUND Thüringen sued against the construction of the Goldisthal pumped-storage power station, a massive infrastructure project with significant environmental and landscape impacts. It became clear that legal action alone would not suffice. In the context of an out-of-court settlement with the energy company VEAG (later Vattenfall Europe), the idea emerged to create something lasting. The settlement sum of 7 million Deutsche Mark was used to establish the Naturstiftung David in 1998. The foundation's purpose is to promote nature and environmental protection in the new federal states (eastern Germany). Its endowment capital of 3.65 million euros is invested according to ecological and social criteria, yielding approximately 125,000 euros annually (inflation-adjusted) for its work. The foundation also raises donations and third-party funds and cooperates with businesses. Since its founding, the foundation has financed more than 250 projects (both its own and third-party projects) with a total volume of over 1 million euros, according to Wikipedia; its website states that it has supported over 530 projects with around 1.5 million euros. A major success in nature conservation has been securing up to 125,000 hectares of nationally significant conservation areas, such as the Hohe Schrecke nature reserve. In the energy sector, the foundation's project "sonnenklar!" has energetically renovated nearly 100 sports facilities in Thuringia, Saxony, and Saxony-Anhalt, including the Werner-Aßmann-Halle in Eisenach. The foundation is a member of the German Nature Conservation Ring (Deutscher Naturschutzring). It continues to be based in Erfurt, Thuringia, and remains closely associated with its founder, BUND Thüringen.

• 1998

  Naturstiftung David is founded with a settlement sum of 7 million Deutsche Mark from the out-of-court agreement with VEAG.

• 1997

  BUND Thüringen sues against the construction of the Goldisthal pumped-storage power station.

• The foundation's endowment capital reaches 3.65 million euros, invested according to ecological and social criteria.

• The "sonnenklar!" project renovates nearly 100 sports facilities in Thuringia, Saxony, and Saxony-Anhalt.

• The foundation secures up to 125,000 hectares of nationally significant conservation areas, including Hohe Schrecke.

A non-profit foundation dedicated to effective nature and climate protection, rooted in Thuringia but active across eastern Germany, combining project funding with its own conservation and energy projects.

1. 1Naturstiftung David official websitenaturstiftung-david.de
2. 2Naturstiftung David - Über unsnaturstiftung-david.de
3. 3Naturstiftung David - Wikipediade.wikipedia.org
4. 4David Nature Foundation - Wikidatawikidata.org