We are committed to transparency!

Our mission statement

The Körber Foundation sees itself as a forum for initiative. It promotes and supports people who are not content with merely keeping the status quo. It focuses on exchange and dialogue, the power of sound arguments and willingness to communicate. By recognising role models, by identifying good examples and by developing paradigms it provides stimuli not only for ideas, but also for actions.

In its work, the Körber Foundation follows the principles already laid down by the founder during his lifetime:

• The Körber Foundation is politically independent and ideologically neutral. It makes use of its reputation to bring together people with different mentalities, experiences and positions in the course of its work. To this end, it provides the necessary forums and moderates the resulting processes.

• The Körber Foundation sees itself as an operational foundation. It does not conduct promotional programmes, but enters into strategic cooperations where collaboration with partners leads to the complementing of its own competencies or to the strengthening of its own projects.

• The Körber Foundation works in a practice- and application-orientated way, aiming to help overcome concrete challenges facing our society. It sees itself as a "greenhouse" for pioneering models and structures. It is also active in areas where the large institutions of our society are unable or unwilling to act.

• The Körber Foundation focuses on the continuous and sustainable further development of its work. It cultivates the traditions that were already developed during Körber's lifetime, but is also aware of the necessity to question its goals and results at all times and to adapt them to current social challenges. For this purpose it calls upon the expertise and knowledge present in its networks.

• The Körber Foundation conducts projects in the subject areas "International Affairs", "Education", "Science", "Civil Society" and "Young Culture".

• As a matter of principle, all committee members work for the Körber Foundation on an honorary basis. They make their decisions according to subject-specific criteria, with a high degree of personal commitment and without any financial dependence on the Körber Foundation. The decisions made by these individuals significantly shape and influence the work of the Körber Foundation. As a result, social diversity and high professional competence are thus also reflected in the foundation's projects.

  Neither Körber AG nor its customers have any influence whatsoever on the contents, projects and goals of the Körber Foundation. Any such influence would also run contrary to the declared will of the founder. In the past, this dual independence has contributed considerably to the high standing and credibility of the Körber Foundation, as well as guiding its future activities.

Complete statutes (PDF, German)

The names and functions of our decision-makers are to be found under Committees.

In addition to the approx. 60 people active in project-related foundation work, the Körber Foundation employs further staff for the running of the Citizens' Centre "Haus im Park".
You will find the total number in the List (PDF, German).

Corporate affiliations with third parties:
The Körber Foundation is the sole shareholder of Körber AG, Hamburg, an international group of mechanical engineering companies operating in the sectors tobacco, machine tool manufacturing, machinery for paper processing and drug packaging. The Körber Foundation is the recipient of dividends from this holding. One of the Körber AG board representatives is a member of the foundation council.