In a meeting held on 20 April 2026, the Board of Trustees of the ZEIT STIFTUNG BUCERIUS approved a total of 13 projects budgeted at more than 2.5 million euros. The choices of the board are directed at Jewish life in Germany and the prevention of antisemitism, media literacy, local journalism, and the strengthening of democracy, particularly in eastern Germany. The funded initiatives correspond to our strategy of expanding existing projects and intensifying alliances with other organizations and civil society actors.
The visibility of Jewish life is one of the foundations of an open democracy
Fostering a culture of remembrance has always been of special importance for the ZEIT STIFTUNG BUCERIUS. For this reason, the Board of Trustees has chosen to fund the “Milestones of Jewish History” project at the Altonaer Museum, together with the special exhibition “Jewish Identities” being held there.
Educational measures are particularly effective and enduring when they unite historical responsibility, contemporary issues, and personal experiences—and when also incorporating artistic expression. Therefore, the Board of Trustees has decided to support the “Echoes of Hope” exchange program which is held at the Helmut Schmidt Gymnasium in Hamburg-Wilhelmsburg and which facilitates encounters between students from Hamburg and Israel.
In Berlin, the foundation will be embarking on a further year of support for the “Akademie Forum” discussion series organized by the Berlin Barenboim-Said Academy, thus fostering continuing dialogue on socio-political, literary, and cultural issues related to Israel and Palestine.
From local newsrooms to reporting from exile: Ongoing projects and new initiatives in support of the press
Defending freedom means reinforcing the freedom of the press and independent reporting. With the “Zentrum für visuelle Medien” [Center for Visual Media], the ZEIT STIFTUNG BUCERIUS, in partnership with the Deichtorhallen Hamburg, is creating a dedicated space for media literacy at the House of Photography. Regular dialogue and joint planning sessions undertaken in connection with the funding should ensure that the Center becomes a socially relevant and sustainable educational initiative positioned at one of Europe’s most important venues for contemporary photography. The effort also strengthens Hamburg’s position as a central site for media literacy.
The ZEIT STIFTUNG BUCERIUS is also committed to supporting and empowering local journalists. The newly funded “Local Heroes” workshop at the Henri-Nannen-Journalistenschule will offer 12 local journalists a one-month training course designed to further develop their skills.
With the ongoing funding of other programs for local journalism, the foundation similarly looks to bolster local newsrooms in eastern German states. Continuing support will also be provided to both the Media Forward Fund, an effort co-founded by the ZEIT STIFTUNG BUCERIUS that provides up to €400,000 in funding to local and regional media outlets in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, as well as to a special project of the JX Fund that uses micro-financing to facilitate independent reporting and promote media diversity in the home countries of exiled journalists (“Von Pilot zu Umsetzung: Mikroförderungen im Exiljournalismus”).
Strengthening social cohesion in eastern Germany and creating space for today’s challenges: “Zukunftswege Ost” and “Uncertainty”
The ZEIT STIFTUNG BUCERIUS supports initiatives that defend democratic values and strengthen civil society. As our Board of Trustees Chair Burkhard Schwenker wrote on LinkedIn at the start of this year: “Simply talking about democracy is no longer enough.” Co-founded by the foundation, the joint initiative “Zukunftswege Ost” [Paths Forward in the East] aims to fuel broader, long-term democratic engagement by civil society in Germany’s eastern states. This partnership of foundations, companies, and media organizations makes micro-financing available in targeted regions—to date, more than 1,700 projects have received funding. The foundation’s Board of Trustees has decided to continue this commitment in 2026 and 2027 as well.
Funding for the Ph.D. scholarship program “Uncertainty” will allow a third cohort of young researchers to explore the multifaceted dimensions of “uncertainty.” In addition, the foundation’s Board of Trustees has allocated funds for the 2027 Bucerius Summer School, an event which will bring together in Hamburg young leaders from around the world to discuss international political issues.
In addition, the Board of Trustees has decided at its spring meeting to extend two existing projects. Funding for the Stiftungsbüro Hamburg [Hamburg Foundation Office] will accordingly continue through 2028. Also receiving an additional year of funding is “Sammlung Falckenberg zu Gast”, a program which presents acclaimed artwork at Bucerius Law School in connection with a discussion series exploring the social, artistic, and legal issues embodied in the featured works (“Hinter den Bildern – Diskussionen zu Gesellschaft, Kunst und Recht”).
