Heinrich Böll Foundation

The Heinrich Böll Foundation, formally Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung e.V. and commonly abbreviated HBS, is a German legally independent political foundation affiliated with Alliance 90/The Greens. It is named after the German writer Heinrich Böll, whose public engagement, defense of human dignity and encouragement of political participation are presented by the foundation as important inspirations for its work. Although institutionally connected to the Green political movement, the foundation is legally separate from the party and operates as a public-interest organization. The foundation began operating in 1997 after the consolidation of three strands of Green-aligned political foundation work: the feminist Frauenanstiftung, the federation of regional foundations known as Buntstift, and the earlier Cologne-based Heinrich Böll Foundation. Their activities had developed during the 1980s, when the Green movement was building institutions for political education, research and civic engagement. The merger followed a 1996 decision by the Green Party to create a unified national foundation structure. The resulting organization adopted statutes emphasizing ecology, sustainability, democracy, human rights, gender democracy, diversity, migration and non-violent peace policy. HBS combines the functions of a policy think tank, civic-education institution, project funder, international network and cultural forum. Its work includes research and publications, conferences, political education, support for civil-society organizations, international cooperation and academic scholarships. Core topics include climate and energy policy, resource use, food and agriculture, European integration, democracy, migration, gender equality, feminist politics, LGBTI rights, peace and security, digital rights and human rights. Its publications have included widely circulated thematic atlases and policy studies on coal, meat consumption and climate responsibility. The foundation is headquartered in Berlin and maintains associated offices in all 16 German federal states. It has also operated international offices and regional programs across several continents, with offices and projects frequently covering more than one country. The network has supported work in areas including Central and Eastern Europe, the Southern Caucasus, Central Asia, Africa, Latin America, North America and the Middle East. Its Washington office, opened in 1998, has addressed climate and energy, foreign and security policy, democracy, economic governance and gender. Education is a major part of the foundation's identity. Its scholarship program supports university students and doctoral candidates, including international students and people from non-academic backgrounds. The foundation also maintains an archive and research collection on new social movements, Green politics and activist Petra Kelly. The Gunda Werner Institute, created in 2007 through the merger of two gender-focused structures, develops work on feminism, women's rights, gender democracy, peace and security, and the relationship between scholarship, politics and civil society. The organization moved into its current Berlin headquarters in 2008. The building was designed as an energy-efficient office and conference center and reflects the foundation's environmental orientation. HBS remains an active participant in international debates on ecological transformation, democratic governance and social justice. Its political proximity to the German Greens, public funding and international advocacy role have also made it a subject of political controversy, notably in Turkey and Russia.

Green-aligned political foundations emerged in West Germany during the early 1980s as the environmental and alternative political movement developed institutional capacity. An attempt to establish a single national foundation in 1983 did not succeed, but three nationwide structures later became especially important: the feminist Frauenanstiftung, the regional Buntstift federation and a Cologne-based Heinrich Böll Foundation. An umbrella association, Regenbogen, coordinated their work, and the Green Party recognized Regenbogen in 1988 as the foundation structure associated with the party and eligible for public funding. At a Green Party convention in March 1996, delegates strongly supported merging the separate structures. The statutes prepared for the new organization gave particular importance to gender democracy, migration and diversity alongside the broader Green agenda of ecology, democracy, human rights and sustainability. With the consent of the Böll family and Alliance 90/The Greens, the unified institution took the name Heinrich Böll Foundation. It commenced operations on 1 July 1997 in Berlin's Hackesche Höfe. The foundation expanded both its domestic and international activities after its creation. Its regional presence grew to include associated offices in all 16 German federal states, while international offices and regional programs developed across Europe, Asia, Africa, the Americas and the Middle East. Some offices originated before the 1997 merger, including the Prague office in 1990 and offices or programs in Pakistan, Turkey, Cambodia, Russia, Nigeria and Central America during the first half of the 1990s. The foundation later opened an office in Washington, D.C., in 1998. Its international work has involved political education, research, support for civil society and dialogue on climate, democracy, gender and human rights. In 2007, the Feminist Institute and the Joint Taskforce for Gender Democracy were combined to form the Gunda Werner Institute. The institute became a principal vehicle for the foundation's work on feminism, women's rights, gender and science, gender-sensitive peace policy and democratic participation. The scholarship program likewise became a central institutional activity, supporting students and doctoral candidates in Germany and offering additional regional scholarship programs. The foundation moved to its current headquarters in Berlin's government district in 2008. The energy-efficient building provides offices and a conference center and was designed to reflect the organization's ecological priorities. The institution has produced policy research on climate responsibility, coal, resource governance, food systems, European policy and other issues. Its Coal Atlas and Meat Atlas helped translate complex environmental and economic debates into accessible data-driven publications. Leadership changed in the 2010s and 2020s. Barbara Unmüßig and Ralf Fücks led the executive board for many years; Ellen Ueberschär succeeded Fücks in 2017. Imme Scholz and Jan Philipp Albrecht were elected presidents in 2022. The organization has also faced political pressure. Russia declared it undesirable in May 2022, while Turkish authorities and some Turkish opposition figures accused it of attempting to influence or shape Turkish politics. In 2023, the foundation withdrew support for the Hannah Arendt Prize award to Masha Gessen over disagreement concerning an essay on the Gaza–Israel conflict. Despite these controversies, HBS continues to operate as an international Green-affiliated foundation focused on ecological transformation, democratic governance and social justice.

• 2022

  New presidents elected

  [1]Heinrich Böll Foundationen.wikipedia.org

  Imme Scholz and Jan Philipp Albrecht were elected presidents of the foundation.

• 2008

  Move to current Berlin headquarters

  [1]Heinrich Böll Foundationen.wikipedia.org

  The foundation moved into its current energy-efficient headquarters and conference center in Berlin's government district.

• 2007

  Gunda Werner Institute established

  [1]Heinrich Böll Foundationen.wikipedia.org

  Two gender-focused structures were merged to create the Gunda Werner Institute for feminism and gender democracy.

• 1998

  Washington office opens

  [1]Heinrich Böll Foundationen.wikipedia.org

  The foundation established its Washington, D.C., office to work on climate, security, democracy, economic governance and gender.

• 1997

  Heinrich Böll Foundation begins operations

  [1]Heinrich Böll Foundationen.wikipedia.org

  The unified foundation began operating on 1 July in Berlin under the name Heinrich Böll Foundation.

• 1996

  Green Party backs a unified foundation

  [1]Heinrich Böll Foundationen.wikipedia.org

  A party convention approved the merger of the separate Green-affiliated foundations.

• 1990

  First international office opens in Prague

  [1]Heinrich Böll Foundationen.wikipedia.org

  A predecessor organization opened the network's first international office in Prague.

• 1988

  Regenbogen recognized by the Green Party

  [1]Heinrich Böll Foundationen.wikipedia.org

  The Green Party recognized the Regenbogen umbrella organization as its associated foundation structure, making it eligible for government funding.

• 1983

  First attempt at a national Green foundation

  [1]Heinrich Böll Foundationen.wikipedia.org

  An effort to create a unified national political foundation associated with the Greens did not succeed, but it was followed by the establishment of several separate foundations.

A Green-affiliated political foundation positioned between a policy think tank, civic-education organization, international network and civil-society platform. Its distinctive emphasis is the combination of ecological sustainability with democracy, human rights, gender democracy, diversity and non-violent peace policy.

• Education and scholarships

  Scholarship Programme

  The foundation supports university students and doctoral candidates in Germany across academic disciplines. Selection considers academic achievement, civic engagement, political and social interest, and affinity with the foundation's democratic, ecological and social objectives. Additional regional programs have supported students in areas including Russia, the Southern Caucasus and Central America and the Caribbean.

• Environmental publication

  Coal Atlas

  A data-oriented publication examining coal mining and coal use, including their environmental, public-health and social effects. It forms part of the foundation's broader climate and energy policy work.

• Food and resource policy publication · 2014

  Meat Atlas

  A research publication presenting data and analysis on industrial meat production, consumption, agriculture and resource use. It argues that prevailing patterns of global meat consumption create substantial environmental and social pressures.

• Gender-policy institute · 2007

  Gunda Werner Institute

  The institute develops feminist and gender-democratic analysis through conferences, publications and political dialogue. Its subjects include women's rights, gender and security, peace processes, transitional justice, gender and science, and the relationship between academic research and civil society.

• Archive and knowledge service

  Archive and Research Collection

  The foundation maintains archival and research resources on new social movements and Green politics, including a dedicated collection relating to political activist Petra Kelly.

• 2023

  Withdrawal of support for Masha Gessen award

  The foundation withdrew its support for presenting the Hannah Arendt Prize for Political Thought to Masha Gessen after objecting to an essay on the Gaza–Israel conflict published in The New Yorker.

  Source

• 2022

  Russia designates the foundation undesirable

  Russian authorities declared the Heinrich Böll Foundation an undesirable organization after it had been removed from a registry of NGO affiliates. The designation restricted the foundation's legal operating environment in Russia.

  Source

• Accusations of political interference in Turkey

  The foundation has been accused by the Turkish government and by some opposition figures, including prominent intellectuals, of attempting to shape Turkish politics. The accusations concern the political character and international activities of its work rather than a finding of legal wrongdoing in the supplied material.

  Source

Read more

• 2014Meat Atlas

  Global · Europe

  The publication campaign used accessible data and analysis to raise awareness of the environmental and social consequences of intensive livestock production and high meat consumption.

  Outcome. The publication became a prominent reference in public discussion of food systems and sustainable resource use.

  Source
• Climate and Greenhouse Development Rights

  Global

  The foundation has promoted the Greenhouse Development Rights approach, which seeks to reconcile climate protection with the right of poorer societies to develop by assigning responsibilities according to emissions and capacity.

  Source

• 2023

  Withdraw support for the Masha Gessen prize presentationOther

  Background

  Masha Gessen had been announced as the recipient of the Hannah Arendt Prize for Political Thought, but the foundation objected to an essay concerning the Gaza–Israel conflict.

  Action taken

  The foundation announced shortly before the ceremony that it would withdraw its support.

  Aftermath

  The decision generated public controversy over political speech, award sponsorship and the foundation's position on the conflict.

  Source

• 2012

  Close the Ethiopia officeStrategy

  Background

  The foundation concluded that government restrictions made independent political work and its mission of supporting democratization, gender justice and sustainable development impracticable.

  Action taken

  The Ethiopia office's activities were discontinued.

  Aftermath

  The foundation described the closure as both an operational decision and a protest against restrictions on human rights and democratic development.

  Source

• 2007

  Merge gender-policy structures into the Gunda Werner InstituteStrategy

  Background

  Gender democracy and feminist politics were core priorities of the foundation from its formation.

  Action taken

  The Feminist Institute and Joint Taskforce for Gender Democracy were combined into a single institute.

  Aftermath

  The new institute became a central home for research, events and advocacy on feminism and gender democracy.

  Source

• 1997

  Create a unified Green-affiliated political foundationStrategy

  Background

  The Green movement's separate national and regional foundation structures had developed along feminist, regional and other political lines during the 1980s.

  Action taken

  The organizations were consolidated into the Heinrich Böll Foundation after the Green Party endorsed the merger and new statutes.

  Aftermath

  The new foundation became a national and international platform for Green political education, policy research and civil-society cooperation.

  Source

1. 1Heinrich Böll Foundationen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Heinrich Böll Foundation official websiteboell.de