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  4. 1995

Andreas Schlüter becomes managing director of the Bertelsmann Stiftung

On July 1, 1995, Dr. Andreas Schlüter succeeds Frank Trümper as managing director of the Bertelsmann Stiftung. The foundation is experiencing dynamic growth. To keep it working effectively, the organizational structure is modified: Seven operational areas are now supported by two central staff units. This facilitates the delegation of responsibility and creates the structural foundation for optimal use of the foundation's growth.


Topping-out ceremony for Pavilions 3 and 4

The rapid expansion of staff in the early 1990s soon makes it necessary to expand the Bertelsmann Stiftung headquarters. Planning begins in October 1993. On June 2, 1995, employees celebrate the topping-out ceremony for Pavilions 3 and 4, which are ready for occupancy at the start of 1996.


1995 Carl Bertelsmann Prize: Methods and tools for successful employment policy

Against this backdrop, the 1995 Carl Bertelsmann Prize is awarded for "Methods and tools for successful employment policy." In September 1995, Aníbal Cavaco Silva, prime minister of Portugal, accepts the award from Reinhard Mohn, chairman of the Bertelsmann Stiftung Executive Board, as 800 guests look on in the Gütersloh Stadthalle. Led by the Institute for Economic Policy and Research at Witten/Herdecke University, the Europe-wide search is based on analyses from various research institutes, expert opinions from qualified economists and institutions, and intensive discussions with national correspondents and individuals from politics, unions and management, and business. To identify a sound economic and employment policy, it is necessary to consider all the factors relevant to the employment situation.


1995 NEUE STIMMEN International Singing Competition

Poster inviting applications for the 1995 NEUE STIMMEN Singing Competition
Poster inviting applications for the 1995 NEUE STIMMEN Singing Competition.
Bertelsmann Stiftung

For the sixth time, the Bertelsmann Stiftung joins Professor August Everding, president of the Deutscher Bühnenverein (the German Theater and Orchestra Association) and general director of the Bavarian State Theater, to host the NEUE STIMMEN International Singing Competition. This competition gives young opera and operetta singers the opportunity to appear before a wide variety of experts in the field under realistic conditions. German President Roman Herzog is now the event's sponsor. The Welsh tenor Gwyn Hughes Jones wins first prize and the cash award of DM15,000. Second place, and DM10,000, goes to baritone Hanno Müller-Brachmann of Germany, while Sami Luttinen, a bass singer from Finland, receives the third prize and DM5,000.


1. Trans-Mediterranean dialogue in Kronberg: "Europe and the Middle East – Prospects for future-oriented cooperation"

The first Kronberg Talks are held in the Schlosshotel Kronberg on January 18, 1995. Participants, among them Liz Mohn and Lord George Weidenfeld, assemble for a group photo.
The first Kronberg Talks are held in the Schlosshotel Kronberg on January 18, 1995. Participants, among them Liz Mohn and Lord George Weidenfeld, assemble for a group photo.
Martin Joppen

Just two years earlier, it would have been impossible for Israeli and Arabic conference participants to welcome each other with a hug. Now they not only negotiate about borders, customs duties and elections, they also discuss a common future within their region and with their powerful neighbor to the north, the European Union. In January 1995, the Bertelsmann Stiftung invites political, economic and academic experts from the Middle East, North Africa and Europe to a two-day Middle East conference in Kronberg. The talks are the opening event for a new project: "Europe and the Middle East – Prospects for future-oriented cooperation."


Bildungswege in der Informationsgesellschaft (Education in an information society)

Teachers hold the key to effective use of media in education, and they must learn a new professional approach. In 1995, the Bertelsmann Stiftung and the Heinz Nixdorf Foundation initiate the Bildungswege in der Informationsgesellschaft (Education in an information society), or BIG, program. With a five-year time frame and a budget of DM8 million, the BIG initiative targets secondary schools and universities and works with software producers. The BIG projects will increasingly cooperate with partners in the USA, including the Media Workshop New York.


Fundación Bertelsmann is established in Barcelona

After opening the Can Torró Library in Mallorca in 1990, the Bertelsmann Stiftung now aims to systematically advance the development of public libraries in Spain. To that end, in 1995 Reinhard Mohn establishes the Fundación Bertelsmann, headquartered in Barcelona. The foundation can draw upon practical models for revamping public libraries that have been successfully tested in Germany. The Fundación's goals are to develop the Spanish reading and media culture, promote public libraries and improve continuing education and training for library management. In the tenth year of its existence, the sponsors of the Fundación Bertelsmann decide to give greater attention to projects that generate greater civic engagement in Spain. Since 2013, the Fundación has addressed the country's high rate of youth unemployment. It supports Spain's education system and job market in improving the educational and employment opportunities for youth over the long term.


Bertelsmann Wissenschaftsstiftung launched

To expand the Bertelsmann Stiftung's activities, the Bertelsmann AG founds the Bertelsmann Wissenschaftsstiftung (Bertelsmann Science Foundation).

The new entity is an independent foundation under civil law, with endowment capital of 0.5 million euros. It conducts various projects that aim to advance our society. Project members develop solutions to problems, test them in practice, and share their findings with the general public.