Why we exist


Defend open and liberal societies
Antisemitism and hatred directed against minorities, growing skepticism among citizens towards democratic institutions, and the increasing polarization of public debates are putting the future of our open society in jeopardy.

To counteract these trends, the Reimann family has created the Alfred Landecker Foundation. The Reimann family will initially support the Foundation with 250 million euros over the next ten years.

The Alfred Landecker Foundation aims to raise awareness of the conditions that paved the way for and enabled the Holocaust to occur, and to combat antisemitism in the here and now.

Rising populist

and nationalist movements

threaten

democratic structures

Rising

populist

movements

threaten

democratic

structures


Rebuild democracy

With a resurgence of populism and nationalism in all Western democracies, attacks on democratic structures are increasing - both internally and externally. Hatred, prejudice, and indifference are only deepening the rifts, exacerbated by economic and health crises.

We firmly believe that all people have the right to live without fear and persecution. What is more, we believe that they should be able to fulfill themselves freely in an open society, according to their individual inclinations, interests, and life stories.

For this to be possible, we need a reliable framework to protect our freedoms. Illiberal forces are increasingly calling this framework into question, however. It is therefore time for political leaders and civil society to actively work to guarantee our life together in democratic coexistence, and the Alfred Landecker Foundation intends to do its part.

Democracies die

in silence

and ignorance

Democracies

die

in silence

and

ignorance

Our story

The Reimann family wants to take the lessons learned from the collapse of European civilization under National Socialism and turn them into active engagement in the here and now

Read our story

Who was Alfred Landecker? Mannheim, April 24, 1942. Two Gestapo officers knock on the door of the Landecker family’s home...

Read more

Explore what we do

Strengthen democracy

Protect minorities

Combat antisemitism

Depolarize debates

Confront the past

What we do


Our cause

We promote the development of democratic and discrimination-free societies via innovative and disruptive means.

The Alfred Landecker Foundation is an incubator for
democracy in the digital age. The foundation uses technological advancements and comprehensive expertise for an open society, a contemporary remembrance of the Holocaust and other Nazi crimes and the fight against antisemitism, racism and group hatred.


Explore what we do

Strengthen democracy

Protect minorities

Combat antisemitism

Depolarize debates

Confront the past


Looking for partnerships?

A quick overview of how we fund and what projects we support.

Our funding guidelines

Who we are


Our mission
The Alfred Landecker Foundation focuses on securing the future of democratic and open societies in which individuals have the space and knowledge to participate and unfold their potential.

We believe in the values on which the European Union was founded and are determined to foster democratic structures. Our team is committed to upholding the memory of the Holocaust and to translating the lessons of the past into active engagement in the present. We want to contribute to shaping the debate on key challenges of our time.

We are independent

and determined

We are

independent

and determined


The foundation is set up independently

The day-to-day business is driven by the Foundation Team, which is responsible for fostering partnerships, identifying initiatives that are worthwhile supporting and for generating new and innovative projects.

The strategic and operational decisions are supervised by the Governing Council, which consists of a majority of internationally recognized civic leaders and academic experts. They guide the implementation of the Foundation’s activities and programs and oversee its direction.

The Academic Council advises on the direction and nature of the Alfred Landecker Lecturer Program and the Academic Research Grant and ensures independent and robust scrutiny of the Foundation’s academic programs.

All people

  • Foundation Team
  • Governing Council
  • Academic Council
  • Lena Altman
    Co-CEO and Chief Enabling Officer
  • Silke Muelherr
    Co-CEO and Head of External Relations
  • Benjamin Fischer
    Program Director
  • Steffen Jost
    Program Director
  • Luisa Maria Schweizer
    Program Director
  • Alexander Busold
    Senior Program Manager
  • Miriam Menzel
    Program Manager
  • Raphael von Aulock
    Program Manager
  • Johannes Rudloff
    Program Associate
  • Sarah Florence Gaebler
    Grants Manager
  • Claudia Riese
    Enabling und HR Manager
  • Agnieszka Schauff

    Office Manager
  • Ellen Brinkmann
    Political Communications Manager
  • Mosch Khanedani
    Manager External Relations
  • Daniela Oberstein
    Political Communications Manager
  • Jonathan Duetsch
    Student Assistant
  • Dan Diner
    Chair of the Foundation and its Governing Council
  • Ngaire Woods
    Vice-Chair of the Governing Council
  • Dietmar Mueller-Elmau
    CEO and owner of Schloss Elmau
  • Rachel Salamander
    Literary scholar, publicist and cultural commentator
  • Peter Harf
    Chairman of the JAB Holding Company
  • Eldar Shafir
    Director of Princeton’s Center for Behavioral Science and Public Policy
  • Joschka Fischer
    Former Foreign Minister of Germany
  • Martin Reimann
    The voice of the Reimann family in the Foundation
  • Norbert Frei
    Chair of the Academic Council
  • Stefanie Schüler-Springorum
    Vice-Chair of the Academic Council
  • Sybille Steinbacher
    Director of the Fritz Bauer Institute
  • Cilly Kugelmann
    Chief Curator of the new permanent exhibition of the Jewish Museum Berlin
  • Jonathan Wolff
    Professor of Values and Public Policy at Oxford University
Foundation Team
Expand Expand Collapse Collapse

Lena Altman

Co-CEO and Chief Enabling Officer
no-image

Silke Muelherr

Co-CEO and Head of External Relations
no-image

Benjamin Fischer

Program Director
no-image

Steffen Jost

Program Director
no-image

Luisa Maria Schweizer

Program Director
no-image

Alexander Busold

Senior Program Manager
no-image

Miriam Menzel

Program Manager
no-image

Raphael von Aulock

Program Manager
no-image

Johannes Rudloff

Program Associate
no-image

Sarah Florence Gaebler

Grants Manager
no-image

Claudia Riese

Enabling und HR Manager
no-image

Agnieszka Schauff


Office Manager
no-image

Ellen Brinkmann

Political Communications Manager
no-image

Mosch Khanedani

Manager External Relations
no-image

Daniela Oberstein

Political Communications Manager
no-image

Jonathan Duetsch

Student Assistant
no-image
Governing Council
Expand Expand Collapse Collapse

Dan Diner

Chair of the Foundation and its Governing Council
no-image

Ngaire Woods

Vice-Chair of the Governing Council
no-image

Dietmar Mueller-Elmau

CEO and owner of Schloss Elmau
no-image

Rachel Salamander

Literary scholar, publicist and cultural commentator
no-image

Peter Harf

Chairman of the JAB Holding Company
no-image

Eldar Shafir

Director of Princeton’s Center for Behavioral Science and ...
no-image

Joschka Fischer

Former Foreign Minister of Germany
no-image

Martin Reimann

The voice of the Reimann family in the Foundation
no-image
Academic Council
Expand Expand Collapse Collapse

Norbert Frei

Chair of the Academic Council
no-image

Stefanie Schüler-Springorum

Vice-Chair of the Academic Council
no-image

Sybille Steinbacher

Director of the Fritz Bauer Institute
no-image

Cilly Kugelmann

Chief Curator of the new permanent exhibition of the Jewish ...
no-image

Jonathan Wolff

Professor of Values and Public Policy at Oxford University
no-image

Explore what we do

Strengthen democracy

Protect minorities

Combat antisemitism

Depolarize debates

Confront the past