Henry and Emma Budge Foundation

The Henry und Emma Budge-Stiftung (Henry and Emma Budge Foundation) is a non-profit foundation based in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. It was established on 20 November 1920 by the Jewish couple Henry Budge (1840–1928) and Emma Budge, née Lazarus (1852–1937), in Lugano. Its original purpose was to build a recreation home for Jews and Christians in the surroundings of Frankfurt am Main. At the request of the Frankfurt magistrate, this purpose was changed in 1928 to the acquisition and construction of a retirement home for the middle class. The foundation is considered the only institution of its kind in Europe, with a charter that provides for Jewish-Christian equality. The foundation's first home, the "Henry und Emma Budge-Heim für alleinstehende alte Menschen," opened in May 1930 on the Grünhof site in Frankfurt's Westend district. The two-storey building for 106 residents, designed by architects Mart Stam, Ferdinand Kramer, Werner Moser and Erika Habermann, was regarded as a model for many elderly-care building projects. After the Nazi takeover in 1933, pressure on the Jewish foundation and its Jewish residents increased. By March 1939 the last Jewish residents had been driven out of the Budge-Heim, which was renamed "Heim am Dornbusch" that same year. The building was heavily damaged in World War II air raids, seized by the American army in 1945, and used by American military authorities as a dental clinic until 1995. After World War II, the Frankfurt social administration determined that the foundation's dissolution in 1941 had been unlawful. The foundation was therefore able to assert material restitution claims, which were granted in a settlement in 1956. Since 1968 the Budge-Stiftung has operated an interreligious and intercultural nursing home and an assisted-living area on Wilhelmshöher Straße in the Seckbach district. The residential complex, newly built in 2003, contains more than 170 one- and two-room apartments, all barrier-free. In keeping with the founders' legacy, the foundation also fosters Jewish-Christian coexistence through regular encounters and active togetherness. On 9 November 2011 a memorial for the 23 former Jewish residents who did not survive Nazi terror was inaugurated on the foundation grounds. The memorial, initiated by current residents, consists essentially of 23 basalt steles and a steel plaque bearing the names of the 23 victims in Latin and Hebrew script. In 2015 a document and media archive on the foundation's history opened in the building. The foundation's 100th anniversary in 2020 was marked by many programme changes and cancellations due to the COVID-19 pandemic; the main ceremony at the Römer in Frankfurt took place without an audience, and a 130-page commemorative publication by historian Volker Hütte was released. The foundation's board has included notable figures such as Paul Arnsberg, Arno Lustiger and Ernst Gerhardt.

The Henry und Emma Budge-Stiftung was founded on 20 November 1920 in Lugano by the Jewish couple Henry Budge (20 November 1840 – 20 October 1928) and Emma Budge, née Lazarus (17 February 1852 – 14 February 1937). Its original purpose was to establish a recreation home for Jews and Christians in the surroundings of Frankfurt am Main. At the request of the Frankfurt magistrate, this purpose was changed in 1928 to the acquisition and construction of a retirement home for the middle class. The first home, the "Henry und Emma Budge-Heim für alleinstehende alte Menschen," was located on the Grünhof site in Frankfurt's Westend district. The two-storey building for 106 residents, designed by architects Mart Stam, Ferdinand Kramer, Werner Moser and Erika Habermann, featured light-filled rooms, central common areas and a terrace on every room, and was regarded as a model for many elderly-care building projects. The first residents moved in in May 1930. After the Nazi takeover in 1933, pressure on the Jewish foundation and its Jewish residents increased in line with Nazi racial ideology. By March 1939 the last Jewish residents had been driven out of the Henry und Emma Budge-Heim, which was renamed "Heim am Dornbusch" that same year. In 1945 the building, heavily damaged by aerial bombs during the air raids on Frankfurt am Main, was seized by the American army and used by American military authorities as a dental clinic until 1995. Today it houses a privately run nursing home. After World War II, the Frankfurt social administration determined that the foundation's dissolution in 1941 had been unlawful. The foundation was therefore able to assert material restitution claims, which were granted in a settlement in 1956. Since 1968 the Budge-Stiftung has operated an interreligious and intercultural nursing home and an assisted-living area on Wilhelmshöher Straße in the Seckbach district. The residential complex, newly built in 2003, contains more than 170 one- and two-room apartments, all barrier-free. In keeping with the founders' legacy, the Budge-Stiftung also fosters Jewish-Christian coexistence through regular encounters and active togetherness. On 9 November 2011 a memorial for the 23 former Jewish residents who did not survive Nazi terror was inaugurated on the foundation grounds. They had been murdered or driven to suicide after their forced eviction from the Budge-Heim by the end of March 1939. The memorial, initiated by current residents, consists essentially of 23 basalt steles and a steel plaque with the names of the 23 victims in Latin and Hebrew script. The steel bears the text "23 Namen von 6 Millionen Namen" (23 names out of 6 million names) and the addendum "Mögen ihre Seelen eingebunden sein in den Bund des Lebens" (May their souls be bound in the bond of life). It was financed by donations from suppliers and service providers of the Budge-Stiftung, as well as from residents and staff, and by the foundation's own funds. A document and media archive on the history of the Henry und Emma Budge-Stiftung opened in the building in 2015. The publicly accessible archive holds books on the history of the founders and the foundation, image and sound recordings, newspaper articles, and copies of documents from various museums and archives. It also contains many life memories and personal objects of former and current foundation residents. The 100th anniversary of the Henry und Emma Budge-Stiftung in 2020 was marked by many programme changes and cancellations due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The main ceremony at the Römer in Frankfurt am Main took place as planned but without an audience. A 130-page commemorative publication, "100 Jahre Henry und Emma Budge-Stiftung in Frankfurt am Main 1920 bis 2020," written by historian Volker Hütte, was released for the anniversary. The foundation's board has included well-known personalities such as the Jewish historian, journalist, writer and publisher Paul Arnsberg (1899–1978), the historian Arno Lustiger (1924–2012), and the long-serving Frankfurt social affairs and city treasurer Ernst Gerhardt (born 1921).

• Foundation established in Lugano by Henry and Emma Budge.

• Purpose changed to acquisition and construction of a retirement home for the middle class at the request of the Frankfurt magistrate.

• First residents move into the Henry und Emma Budge-Heim on the Grünhof site in Frankfurt's Westend.

• Last Jewish residents driven out of the Budge-Heim; building renamed "Heim am Dornbusch".

• Foundation dissolved (later determined to be unlawful).

• Building seized by the American army and used as a dental clinic until 1995.

• Material restitution claims granted in a settlement.

• Budge-Stiftung begins operating an interreligious and intercultural nursing home and assisted living in Seckbach.

• New residential complex with over 170 barrier-free apartments built.

• Memorial for 23 former Jewish residents inaugurated on the foundation grounds.

• Document and media archive on the foundation's history opened.

• 100th anniversary; commemorative publication released; ceremony held without audience due to COVID-19.

A unique interreligious and intercultural foundation providing dignified ageing for Jewish and Christian people, rooted in the founders' philanthropic legacy.

• Pflegezentrum (nursing centre)

  Inpatient long-term care, short-term care and respite care.

• Betreutes Wohnen (assisted living)

  Barrier-free one- and two-room apartments in the Seckbach residential complex.

• Esra

  Outpatient care service.

• Physiotherapie

  Physiotherapy services.

1. 1Henry und Emma Budge-Stiftung | Startseitebudge-stiftung.de
2. 2Henry und Emma Budge-Stiftungwikidata.org
3. 3Henry und Emma Budge-Stiftungde.wikipedia.org