Evangelische Stiftung Neuerkerode

The Evangelische Stiftung Neuerkerode (ESN) is a Christian social-services provider based in Neuerkerode, a district of Sickte in Lower Saxony, Germany. It traces its origins to 1868, when Pastor Gustav Stutzer, physician Dr. Oswald Berkhan and social reformer Luise Löbbecke founded the Idioten-Anstalt zu Erkerode to give people with intellectual disabilities a home. Over more than 150 years the institution grew into a corporate group (Unternehmensverbund) that today describes itself as a care network for health, inclusion and quality of life in southeast Lower Saxony. The group operates through numerous subsidiaries and affiliated companies. Its service portfolio includes disability assistance (Behindertenhilfe), elderly care (Altenhilfe), addiction assistance (Suchthilfe), psychosomatics, mother-and-child health cures, the Marienstift Hospital in Braunschweig and a medical care centre (Medizinisches Versorgungszentrum). It also runs schools and vocational training, day care, catering, shops, outpatient nursing, obstetrics and inclusive medicine. According to its own information, the network comprises 17 companies at 75 locations with around 3,700 employees and 250 trainees; Wikipedia (as of March 2020) cites roughly 3,000 employees and 220 training places, making ESN one of the larger employers in the Braunschweig region. The foundation is a member of the Diakonisches Werk of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Braunschweig. Its subsidiaries include Neuerkeröder Wohnen und Betreuen GmbH, Haus der helfenden Hände gGmbH, Theresienhof GmbH, Bethanien gGmbH, Mehrwerk gGmbH, Lukas-Werk Gesundheitsdienste GmbH, Sprössling gGmbH, Krankenhaus Marienstift gGmbH and Diakoniestationen Harz-Heide gGmbH. The foundation itself acts as a holding for strategy, administration, personnel, finance, marketing, real estate, IT and quality management. ESN presents itself as a values-driven organisation rooted in Christian charity. Its stated vision is to be "the best companion for every life journey" and to find individual solutions for employees and for the people entrusted to its care. It holds certifications such as berufundfamilie and Zukunftgeber and maintains a mission statement and quality management system. The group is led by a board (Vorstand) with a chairperson, a theological board member, a personnel board member and a finance board member.

The Evangelische Stiftung Neuerkerode was founded on 13 September 1868 in Erkerode by Pastor Gustav Stutzer, physician Dr. Oswald Berkhan and social reformer Luise Löbbecke as the Idioten-Anstalt zu Erkerode, dedicated to giving people with intellectual disabilities a home. The foundation's own history recounts that in 1867 Stutzer read a newspaper article asking why there were no adequate services for people with intellectual disabilities while much was done for the mentally ill. Moved by this, he discussed his idea of founding an institution at a village wedding in Erkerode, where guests collected seven talers for the cause. Luise Löbbecke, a banker's daughter and known benefactor, then provided 1,000 talers as start-up financing. The first residence was the so-called Pfarrwitwenhaus, initially housing only boys and male youths. In 1870 a new building for girls was opened and the old building was expanded for boys. In 1872 a converted paper mill near Sickte was occupied under the name Neu-Erkerode, and the Pfarrwitwenhaus was sold. Further development concentrated on Neuerkerode, and in 1906 the organisation was renamed Neu-Erkeröder Anstalten. In 1989 it took its current name, Evangelische Stiftung Neuerkerode. Over the decades the foundation grew into a corporate group. Its subsidiaries are members of the Diakonisches Werk of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Braunschweig. The group operates facilities in disability assistance, child and youth welfare, elderly care, addiction assistance and employment promotion, a hospital and other medical care facilities. It also runs a technical school for special-needs care (Fachschule für Heilerziehungspflege) in Neuerkerode and a day-care centre with an integration group. The corporate group consists of the foundation as a holding responsible for strategy and administration, and subsidiaries including Neuerkeröder Wohnen und Betreuen GmbH, Haus der helfenden Hände gGmbH, Theresienhof GmbH, Bethanien gGmbH, Mehrwerk gGmbH, Lukas-Werk Gesundheitsdienste GmbH, Sprössling gGmbH, Krankenhaus Marienstift gGmbH and Diakoniestationen Harz-Heide gGmbH. The holding also handles personnel management, finance, marketing and corporate communications, property and real estate management, IT, quality management and church services. By March 2020 Wikipedia reported around 3,000 employees and 220 training places, making ESN a large employer in the Braunschweig region. The foundation's own website states that the network comprises 17 companies at 75 locations with around 3,700 employees and 250 trainees. In 2026 the administrative council elected Dr. Diederik Noordveld as the new Theological Board Member, and the foundation held its annual Stiftungsempfang in Braunschweig Cathedral with around 250 guests.

• 2026

  Dr. Diederik Noordveld elected Theological Board Member; Stiftungsempfang held in Braunschweig Cathedral.

• 2020

  Wikipedia reports around 3,000 employees and 220 training places (March 2020).

• 1989

  Renamed Evangelische Stiftung Neuerkerode.

• 1906

  Organisation renamed Neu-Erkeröder Anstalten.

• 1872

  Converted paper mill near Sickte occupied as Neu-Erkerode; Pfarrwitwenhaus sold.

• 1870

  New building for girls opened; old building expanded for boys.

• 1868

  Idioten-Anstalt zu Erkerode founded on 13 September by Gustav Stutzer, Oswald Berkhan and Luise Löbbecke.

• 1867

  Pastor Gustav Stutzer reads a newspaper article about the lack of services for people with intellectual disabilities and develops the idea of founding an institution.

Christian values-driven social and medical care network for health, inclusion and quality of life in southeast Lower Saxony.

• Neuerkeröder Wohnen und Betreuen GmbH

  Individual residential and support services within integration assistance for people with intellectual or multiple disabilities in Neuerkerode and the Braunschweig, Wolfenbüttel and Wolfsburg region.

• Haus der helfenden Hände gGmbH

  Senior and nursing home on the Rittergut in Beienrode with 75 single and 10 double rooms, offering full inpatient care, short-term care, dementia care and palliative care.

• Theresienhof GmbH

  Senior and nursing home in Goslar with 89 single and 4 double rooms for 97 people, plus a senior housing complex with 19 units.

• Bethanien gGmbH

  Senior and care centre on the Marienstift Braunschweig grounds with 250 full inpatient care places including short-term care in four residential areas.

• Krankenhaus Marienstift gGmbH

  Evangelical basic-care hospital in Braunschweig with six departments.

• Mehrwerk gGmbH

  Company within the esn network focused on work and qualification.

• Lukas-Werk Gesundheitsdienste GmbH

  Health services company within the esn network.

• Sprössling gGmbH

  Company within the esn network, likely related to children and youth services.

• Diakoniestationen Harz-Heide gGmbH

  Outpatient nursing and care stations in the Harz-Heide region.

1. 1Evangelische Stiftung Neuerkerode (esn) Versorgungsnetzwerknetzwerk-esn.de
2. 2Geschichte der Evangelischen Stiftungen Neuerkerodenetzwerk-esn.de
3. 3Markenstruktur und Gesellschaften im Netzwerk esnnetzwerk-esn.de
4. 4Mehr über die Evangelische Stiftung Neuerkerodenetzwerk-esn.de
5. 5Evangelische Stiftung Neuerkerodewikidata.org
6. 6Evangelische Stiftung Neuerkerodede.wikipedia.org