Friedrich Ebert Stiftung

The Friedrich Ebert Foundation is a German political foundation closely associated with the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD). Much of it's work is concerned with policy research, however it is also active internationally as a lobby group, promoting, amongst other things, trade unions and international co-operation between Social Democrat interest groups in Europe and North America. It also provides funding for a variety of projects internationally as well as scholarships for students studying in Germany.

The Foundation

The foundation was formed in 1925 as the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (English - Friedrich Ebert Foundation) by Friedrich Ebert, an SPD politician who was the first President of the Weimar Republic of Germany (1919-1933). The original aims were given as encouraging political and social education, providing university scholarships for selected German students and the somewhat vague aim of "contributing to international understanding and co-operation". The party was banned by the Nazi's prior to the second World War, but re-emerged with the new Federal Republic in 1949. 1

Although the foundation is legally distinct from the SPD, it's work is closely linked to the party. As it is almost entirely publicly funded some have criticised it, along with the other political foundations in German such as the Konrad Adenauer Foundation (associated with the CDU), for being used as a loophole by the political parties to receive public funds it would not otherwise be entitled to under the German electoral regulations. 2