Our founder's motives

Reinhard Mohn's view of human nature was fundamentally shaped by his family tradition. The basic values of goodwill and social-mindedness underpin his focus on partnership and continuity in running his business and, at a wider level, on encouraging social change.

As a veteran entrepreneur, Mohn recognized in the 1970s that politics lacked transparency and democracy lacked vitality. State and community organizations valued security and stability more than creativity and initiative. Their leaders clung to practices that stood in the way of progress. At every level of society, structures and regulations hobbled citizens' ability to take the initiative.

In 1977, Mohn acted on his conviction that ownership of property also entails social responsibility. "I knew the frustration that every citizen of a democracy must feel when society does not function as it should -- and I wanted to do my part to improve the situation.... This led me to establish the Bertelsmann Stiftung."

The Bertelsmann Stiftung is the majority shareholder of Bertelsmann AG, a global corporation with more than 106,000 employees in more than 50 countries (as of Dec. 31, 2008). The foundation is at once a significant agent of social change and a guarantor of the continuity of Bertelsmann AG.

Both the Mohn family, which holds 22.6 percent of the capital of Bertelsmann AG, and the Bertelsmann Stiftung, with 77.4 percent, have ceded their voting rights to the Bertelsmann Management Company (Bertelsmann Verwaltungsgesellschaft, BVG). Following the death of Reinhard Mohn, three members of the Mohn family -- Liz Mohn, Dr. Brigitte Mohn and Christoph Mohn -- now serve as permanent members of the Bertelsmann Management Company. Other elected BVG members include Prof. Dieter Vogel, Prof. Werner J. Bauer and Prof. Jürgen Strube.