Foundation

Heinrich Böll is one of the most important and best-known writers of the Federal Republic of Germany. "Bound by the times and my contemporaries, to what my generation has lived through, experienced, seen, and heard," as he himself wrote, he was the critical chronicler of Germany’s history at mid-century. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature for his novels and short stories in 1972.

The Heinrich Boell Stiftung (HBS) is a German non-profit organization affiliated with the German Green Party (Bündnis 90 / Die Grünen). Internationally the foundation operates 33 offices, and collaborates with project partners in about 60 countries altogether. It has been working in Israel since 1992 and is considered a foreign governmental entity in accordance with Article 36a(a)(4) of the Israeli Law Of Amutot. Its activities are funded by the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.    

The Heinrich-Boell-Stiftung is part of the green political movement that has developed worldwide as a response to the traditional politics of socialism, liberalism, and conservatism. Our main tenets are ecology and sustainability, democracy and human rights, self-determination and justice. We place particular emphasis on gender democracy, meaning social emancipation and equal rights for women and men. We are also committed to equal rights for cultural and ethnic minorities and to the societal and political participation of immigrants. Finally, we promote non-violence and proactive peace policies.

Politics can only succeed when it is inclusive of all genders. Gender justice is an ambitious goal, one that the Heinrich Böll Foundation is pursuing together with many different allies worldwide. This publication gives an overview of their work.

On the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the Federal Republic of Germany and the 20th anniversary of the Fall of the Wall, the Heinrich Böll Stiftung together with the Interdisciplinary Center (IDC) Herzliya held a German-Israeli conference entitled 60 Years of a Different Germany – An Assessment 20 Years After the Fall of the Wall. On June 28th 2009, some 130 people gathered in the auditorium of the Marc Rich Library at the IDC in Herzliya to participate in the event.