History of the foundation

The Heinrich Böll Foundation emerged in 1997 from the Regenbogen Foundation Association, which was the umbrella organization of the three foundations Buntstift (Göttingen), Frauen-Anstiftung (Hamburg) and Heinrich Böll Foundation (Cologne).

In agreement with the Böll family and the federal assembly of Bündnis 90/Die Grünen, the foundation bears the name Heinrich Böll Foundation because his person embodied that rare unity of political alertness, artistic creativity and moral integrity that will remain exemplary for future generations. Civil courage, encouragement to intervene in public affairs and an unconditional commitment to human dignity and rights were the hallmarks of the writer Heinrich Böll. The Foundation is committed to this tradition.

Even before 1983, the Greens had party-affiliated state foundations at state level (see the speech on the 20th anniversary of the Foundation for Life and the Environment, Lower Saxony). They had also attempted to set up a Green party foundation at federal level before 1983. The Women's Foundation was supported by women from the women's movement. The supporters of the movement model were the "Federal Conference of Independent Peace Groups" and the "Federal Congress of Development Action Groups". The "Initiative for the Establishment of the Heinrich Böll Foundation" was created with the significant participation of Green politicians, namely Lukas Beckmann and Christa Nickels, but also saw itself as being outside the party. It was constituted on September 14, 1986 in Cologne.

The Stiftungsverband Regenbogen e.V. was founded on July 26, 1988. Prior to this, the representatives of the state foundations had already united to form the "Buntstift-Föderation" on July 1, 1988. On August 15, the Federal Executive Committee of the Green Party recognized the Stiftungsverband Regenbogen as a political foundation affiliated with it.

The merger of the individual foundations to form the new Heinrich Böll Foundation was initiated at a federal meeting of the Alliance Greens in Mainz in March 1996. Gender democracy was enshrined in the statutes as a cross-sectional and joint task. The obligation to campaign against discrimination against gays and lesbians was also taken into account, as was the priority of migration policy issues. The proposals were ultimately adopted by a large majority. At the same time as it was recognized as a federal foundation, the assembly also voted in favour of the new name "Heinrich Böll Foundation". On July 1, 1997, the new Heinrich Böll Foundation began its work at its new headquarters - in the Hackesche Höfe, in the heart of Berlin.

Since 2008, the Foundation's headquarters have been located in its own building at Schumannstr. 8 in Berlin-Mitte. The move began in June and was crowned by the inauguration ceremony on September 25, which was attended by numerous guests from the world of politics as well as René Böll and Federal President Horst Köhler.

The Foundation's new building in Schumannstrasse not only offers sufficient space for conferences and events, but is also characterized by a new and pioneering energy concept. The building thus plays a pioneering role in modern office and conference building construction.