Konrad Adenauer Foundation

The Konrad -Adenauer -Stiftung eV ( KAS) is the party-affiliated foundation of the Christian Democratic Union, with the legal form of a registered association and based in Sankt Augustin. The current chairman is former President of the European Parliament Hans -Gert Poettering, Secretary General is former State Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Education Michael Thielen.

Creation and contract

Founded in 1955, under Bruno Heck Society for Christian Democratic Education Work carries since 1964 the name of the first Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, Konrad Adenauer. Nationally and internationally, the Konrad -Adenauer- Foundation for Civic Education and the promotion of European unification sets in, support arts and culture, supports talented undergraduate and graduate students with scholarships and documented and explored the historical development of the Christian Democratic movement. Like all party-affiliated foundations, she tries to act as a think tank meinungsbildend for her party on society.

Facilities

The Foundation maintains addition to its headquarters near the former German capital Bonn two training centers ( at Schloss Eichholz at Wesseling North Rhine -Westphalia and the castle Wendgräben in Zeppernick at Loburg in Saxony- Anhalt), 16 regional education centers, an academy in Berlin (since 25 July 1998), as well as an international conference center ( in Villa La Collina, Cadenabbia ). Covers the history of Christian Democracy in Germany and Europe and explores the Archive for Christian Democratic Policy with extensive records held by modern media and a special library with about 157,000 titles. The offer in the context of gifted education is one of the German Student programs, graduate students, foreigners promotion and maintenance of a journalist - Academy of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation. In an article in the Bonner General -Anzeiger of 6 October 2011 states: " The CDU - affiliated Konrad Adenauer Foundation plans to reduce its presence in the Cologne - Bonn area. For cost reasons, they wanted to part with several real estate to which Eichholz in Wesseling and the KAS office in Sankt Augustin include, it said on Wednesday [ ... ]. The federal CDU did not want to comment on the relocation plans. "

Foreign exposure

Abroad, the KAS has nearly 80 offices and are promoted alongside 200 projects of "helping people to help themselves" in 120 countries and politically related parties and organizations. The partner parties are Christian democratic or right-wing parties such as the Polish Civic Platform or the Chilean Partido Demócrata Cristiano de Chile.

The Department of European and International Cooperation of the KAS are various publication series out:

• Auslandsinformationen, a journal of international affairs, foreign policy and development cooperation, making it accessible to the collected in connection with the foreign work of the Foundation information to the public.
• KAS International
• Country Reports
• Foreign employees report (audio series )

With five regional rule of law programs ( "South East Europe ", " Latin America ", " Asia ", " Sub-Saharan Africa " and " Middle East / North Africa " ) supports the KAS, the performance of the relevant constitutional law, human rights protection, integration law and procedural law with the goal of democratization.

Another focus is the media programs of KAS with the aim of promoting the free, responsible and ethical reporting.

Venezuela

The international activities of the KAS began in 1962 with first contacts in Venezuela. Today, the right-wing liberal party Primero Justicia party is a partner of the KAS in Venezuela. The Primero Justicia in 2002 was involved in the attempted coup against the government of the democratically elected President of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez, and 2006 in the successful campaign to reject the referendum, which would have expanded the powers of Chavez extraordinary.

Bulgaria

1996 helped to consolidate the KAS in the coalition United Democratic Forces (ODS ) of the democratic forces of Bulgaria, which could take over the government in the following year under the leadership of the Union of Democratic Forces.

In conflict regions such as the Middle East, the Foundation is also trying to support both sides in their peaceful development and thereby make a positive impact in overcoming the conflict; the Middle East conflict, the Foundation promotes therefore, for example, projects in Palestine (eg brewing in Taybeh ) and Israel, for example, by promoting Israeli- Palestinian teacher seminars on peace-building curriculum development.

Ukraine

The KAS operates in Ukraine with the party of Vitali Klitschko and the Fatherland party Arseniy Jazenjuks together. Head of the Office of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in Kiev since 2012 Gabriele Baumann.

Searches of foundation office

Egypt

The Foundation's office in Egypt was searched in December 2011 as the offices of 16 other NGOs on suspicion of illegal " foreign funding ". In February 2012, was charged by the Egyptian government, the allegation that several NGOs were involved in a " foreign conspiracy " against Egypt. In the episode was for the representatives of the KAS in Egypt Andreas Jacobs and granted a German employee travel ban.

Russia

On March 26, 2013 seized officials of the Russian prosecutor's office in the Foundation in Saint Petersburg office temporarily multiple computers. After two days, the introduced method was discontinued. Russian President Vladimir Putin defended the action against partly sharp criticism, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel and the President of the Foundation, Hans -Gert Poettering.

Collaborations with other foundations and organizations

In Bavaria, is instead of the Konrad -Adenauer -Stiftung, the Hanns Seidel Foundation active in Schleswig- Holstein, the Hermann Ehlers Foundation. The KAS cooperates not only with these union -affiliated foundations. So they published eg in connection with the Bertelsmann Foundation, the Market Economy Foundation and the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Liberty in the context of the series Forum on Federalism 2004, a study entitled "Education policy in the federal system and international influence," in they positioned themselves in the debate over education policy and reform and influence discussed. In addition, they worked in 1989 together with the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom, Hanns -Seidel -Stiftung and the Heinrich Böll Foundation a "Joint Declaration" about the self and the funding of political foundations in Germany. The KAS is a member of the European Movement. It cooperates in the composite of the neoliberal Stockholm Network with other foundations and think tanks in the transnational formation of opinion in European politics. Together with the Anne Frank Fund supports the KAS since 2000 been staged by the city of Bergen " Anne Frank Peace Days ". There, every year young people are invited from several European cities to participate in information meetings, conduct your own research and present their findings to the public.

Publications

The Konrad -Adenauer- Foundation published a variety of publications. Monthly magazine of the foundation is The Political opinion in which a wide range of political, social and cultural topics will be covered. One of these magazines is the 1987 monthly KAS Auslandsinformationen that deal with international issues. The series analyzes and arguments informs concisely about the Foundation's positions on current issues. The booklets provide key findings and recommendations that provide short analyzes that explain further the Foundation's plans and call their contacts. The magazine Speaking is a Umschau with reports from federal and provincial, guest articles, reviews and press reports about the current cultural policy. The Foundation also works through a newsletter, publications in the Herder publishing house and the brochure series Working Papers, Future Forum Politics, Historical and Political releases, materials for on-site work ( for local politics ) and the above-mentioned publications for foreign exposure.

Prices of the Konrad -Adenauer -Stiftung

• Bruno Heck scientific prize of the alumni of

• The German local journalism award recognizes the crucial role and the services of local editors that provide the largest share in the editorial offices of the German daily newspapers since 1980.

• Since 1993 authors honored with the prize initiated by Bernhard Vogel Literary Prize of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation annually, " which give the freedom of their word ." Prizewinners 2013 is Martin Mosebach.

• With the price Social Market Economy Foundation honors since 2002 to personalities who have campaigned for the preservation and further development of the social market economy in an outstanding way. The winners are: 2002: Werner Otto
• 2003: Berthold Leibinger
• 2004: Helmut O. Maucher
• 2005: Hans B. Bauerfeind
• 2006: Sybill Storz
• 2007: Arend Oetker
• 2008: Peter Imp
• 2009: Hans Peter Stihl and Eva Mayr- Stihl
• 2010: Regina Gorner, Jochen F. Kirchhoff and Walter Riester
• 2011: Cardinal Reinhard Marx
• 2013: Jürgen Hambrecht

Financing

Is financed by the Foundation for the most part directly from public funds ( 96.3 %, of which 61.8 % project basis ), as well as by grants (0.6%) and contributor ( 3.1%, both figures for 2008). Treasurer Franz Schoser. As a non-profit organization may take in the form of tax-exempt foundation grants ( donations and legacies and bequests ). So you Else Heiliger fund was created, for example, the fact that Else saint (1902-1993), the Foundation began in 1983 as a sole heiress and her here to rest, made with the heritage to promote needy German artist.

Criticism

Stefan Loipfinger reported in his 2011 book " The donations mafia" of a waste of money and a large subsidy for the CDU -affiliated foundation with tax money. Grants from the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and development have not been specifically earmarked.

Chairman

Well-known former fellows of the Konrad -Adenauer -Stiftung

• Peter Altmaier, politicians
• Barschel, politicians
• Pia Beckmann, politician
• Thomas Bellut, Journalist
• Peter Bergmair, politicians
• Mara Bergmann, journalist
• Thomas de Maizière, politicians
• Thomas Enders, CEO of EADS
• Reinhard Goehner, employers functionary
• Regina Gorner, politician
• Nicholas Haufler, politicians
• Christian Heinz, politicians
• Herbert Henzler, business consultant
• Franz Josef Jung, politicians
• Wolfgang Klein, Manager
• Marcus Kretzer, Pianist
• Armin Laschet, politicians
• Kurt Lauk, Board member of DaimlerChrysler AG (1996-1999), politician
• Karl Lauterbach, a professor of health economics and politicians
• Joachim Lemppenau, CEO of People's Welfare (1998-2006)
• Peter Liese, politicians
• Andreas Maier, author
• Mario Martini, legal scholar, Professor of Public Law
• David McAllister, politicians
• Friedrich Merz, politicians
• Timo Nasseri, artist
• Nick Andreas ( politician)
• Gabriele Pauli, politician
• Wolfgang Peine, politicians
• Ruprecht Polenz, politicians
• Andreas Püttmann, journalist and publicist
• Alfred Sauter, politicians
• Nadine Schön, politician
• Wulf Schönbohm, politicians
• Gerd Carpenter, state politicians and architect
• Detlef Seif, politicians
• Klaus -Peter Siegloch, Journalist
• Markus Söder, politicians
• Christopher Spehr, Protestant theologian, professor of Church History
• Gregor Thüsing, legal scholars
• Eckart von Klaeden, politicians
• Christina von Ungern -Sternberg, journalist and television presenter
• Johann Wadephul, politicians
• Wolfram Weimer, Journalist
• Christian Wulff, politicians, President A.D.