Message
62 Years of The Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom
62 years of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom.
Since it was founded on May 19, 1958 by Federal President Theodor Heuss, the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom has been campaigning for the values of freedom, for responsibility, for the rule of law and for human rights in Germany and the world. As a foundation for freedom, we are a thematic innovation driver and platform of freedom for all liberals in Germany. We are committed to providing as many opportunities as possible to as many people as possible - and promoting a society that is tolerant, progressive, highly educated, and more performance oriented.
Our main topics include education, an open and digital society, the future of the social market economy and international politics. Our office is in Potsdam and Berlin, we have offices all over Germany and worldwide. For the liberal thought leader and namesake of the foundation, Friedrich Naumann, one thing was certain: A strong democracy needs responsible citizens.
A liberal society only grows and thrives when the individual participates in the political process and bears responsibility, when he intervenes and defends his opinion. We want to help make the world less dependent and more confident, politically active. We campaign for freedom and for assuming the responsibility that is inextricably linked to freedom.
International work
Since 2007, the addition of "For Freedom" has been part of our basic name: In more than 60 countries, we are committed to human rights and democracy by supporting policy dialogue and policy advice. The guiding principle of the foundation in its international work: meet at eye level, learn from one another and work together. Our liberal notion of a liberal world forms the basis for every international exchange.
The foreign offices help in many countries to advance the idea of freedom - especially where it is difficult: in autocracies and countries without stable democratic structures. Policy advice focuses on solving political, economic and social problems. We support our liberal partners abroad in a variety of ways, for example in strengthening organized liberalism and in developing and building up structures based on the rule of law.
International Academy for Leadership (IAF) works closely with the Foundation's international projects and develops events for specialists and managers from all over the world, including: on the topics of liberalism, human rights and the rule of law, civil society, free trade, freedom of the press and information, education and the fight against extremism.
Political Work
We work as a political educational institution with the aim of further anchoring freedom and its importance for the rule of law and democracy in society. We see ourselves as an advocate of freedom and an engine for prosperity and peace - in Germany and around the world. We therefore offer liberal solutions for political education and enable individuals to actively and informally intervene in political events. The Liberal Institute (LI) in Berlin is the think tank of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation.
Our experts address a wide range of fundamental political questions and publish them in the form of position papers, studies and publications. The Theodor Heuss Academy (THA) in Gummersbach is the central educational institution. Seminars, training courses and conferences are organized here to convey liberal positions and political tools. The Archive of Liberalism (ADL) in Gummersbach collects and indexes documents and digital material about organized liberalism since 1945 as well as estates and documents of liberal personalities such as Thomas Dehler, Martha Dönhoff, Hans-Dietrich Genscher, Hildegard Hamm-Brücher, Wilhelm Külz, Wolfgang Mischnick , Otto Graf Lambsdorff and Walter Scheel. The archive also focuses on historical liberalism research and political education. The magazine of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation is called "liberal - the magazine for freedom" and appears at least four times a year - in print and as a digital publication at liberal.Freiheit.org. The debate magazine offers contributions from experts from science, politics, business and culture and is thus the central platform for the competition of liberal ideas and arguments in Germany.
Promotion of talented people
The Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom supports young students financially and ideally through scholarships, educational trips, networking, seminars and working groups. The Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom for talented students awards study and doctoral scholarships to German and foreign students and doctoral students. The application process takes place twice a year (application deadlines: April 30 and October 31). Our scholarship holders are ambassadors for freedom who are actively involved in social issues at home and abroad.