© Axel Martens / Agentur Focus
People are at the heart of what we do. That's why some 337 employees work each day to ensure that everyone can participate – politically, economically and culturally – in an increasingly complex society. As a result, the Bertelsmann Stiftung's programs share knowledge, promote expertise and generate solutions.
The Bertelsmann Stiftung is a place where we look across political boundaries to the future, so we can develop new impulses for change.
Reinhard Mohn
Founder
Our organizational structure reflects our goals and principles. It ensures that we are able to fulfill, efficiently and transparently, the mandate laid out in our articles of incorporation. The work we do is grouped into programs, each of which is led by a member of our Executive Board. Our projects, in turn, are grouped by topic and activity within each program.
Prof. Dr. Andreas Pinkwart, Dr. Brigitte Mohn (Chairperson) and Wilhelm-Friedrich Uhr
The Board of Trustees serves as an advisory and controlling body, comparable to a supervisory board. It is made up of individuals who have demonstrated ongoing interest in the work of the foundation, as well as leadership experience and insight into social progress.
Over the more than 40 years of our existence, we have established a number of independent entities as partner organizations and subsidiaries. We support affiliated nonprofit institutions by contributing ideas and funding.
The Bertelsmann Stiftung’s headquarters have been located in Carl-Bertelsmann-Straße in Gütersloh since 1991.
© Jan Voth
View from the lake to the Bertelsmann Stiftung
With its Berlin office, the Bertelsmann Stiftung has maintained a permanent presence at the heart of Germany since 2019. Located at Werderscher Markt, in close proximity to key institutions such as the Federal Foreign Office, the Bertelsmann Stiftung strategically contributes its topics, analyses, and networks to political and public discourse.
© Sebastian Pfütze
Outside view of the house at Werderscher Markt in Berlin
With its Berlin office, the Bertelsmann Stiftung has maintained a permanent presence at the heart of Germany since 2019. Located at Werderscher Markt, in close proximity to key institutions such as the Federal Foreign Office, the Bertelsmann Stiftung strategically contributes its topics, analyses, and networks to political and public discourse.
The Berlin office serves as a space for dialogue and exchange. It brings together stakeholders from politics, public administration, academia, civil society, and the private sector to discuss current challenges and develop joint approaches to solutions. Through a broad range of events and dialogue formats, the Bertelsmann Stiftung creates room for debate, contextualization, and collaboration.
At the same time, the Berlin location strengthens the connection between the political center in Berlin and the Bertelsmann Stiftung’s headquarters in Gütersloh, which remains the core of the Bertelsmann Stiftung’s work. The Berlin office helps connect practical political developments with the Bertelsmann Stiftung’s long-term strategic and programmatic work, enabling societal and political trends to be identified and incorporated at an early stage.
In this way, the Berlin House reflects the Bertelsmann Stiftung’s commitment to addressing societal challenges through dialogue and collaboration.
The Bertelsmann Stiftung's Brussels office was established in 2000. It is located in the heart of the city’s EU district, close to the European institutions. Our Brussels office promotes cross-border discussion of the challenges Europe and its citizens will soon face. We make the findings from our project work available to European institutions and to stakeholders, think tanks and the media.
The North American arm of the Bertelsmann Stiftung operates as a think tank addressing the challenges related to transatlantic cooperation. Headquartered in Washington, DC, it is widely consulted when German and European viewpoints are needed to understand international issues and inform the public debate. Focus areas include the impacts of globalization on both sides of the Atlantic.
Founded by Reinhard Mohn in 1995 and based in Barcelona, the Fundación Bertelsmann develops and carries out projects for promoting social change in Spain. As part of its efforts to improve the employment situation for the country’s young people, it currently supports the development of a twin-track work-study vocational training system and a career-guidance system that will make it easier for students to transition from school to work. Liz Mohn serves as the president of the foundation’s Board of Trustees, whose members include recognized political, business and social leaders.
Thanks to the Espacio, the Fundación has created a space in Madrid where the relevant social issues can be discussed and shaped, together with partners. Designed in 1992 by Enric Miralles and awarded the Madrid Architecture Prize, the building was for many years the cultural center that hosted Circulo de Lectores events. The building’s new name – Espacio Bertelsmann, Diálogo para un futuro major (Dialogue for a Better Future) – reflects its new activities and goals.
