The Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) was founded in 1925 as a political legacy of Friedrich Ebert, the first democratically elected president of Germany. The foundation serves the following aims:

furthering the political and social education of individuals from all walks of life in the spirit of democracy and pluralism;

contributing to international understanding and cooperation.

The Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, which was banned by the Nazis in 1933 and re-established in 1947, continues today to pursue these aims in all its extensive activities. In addition to education programmes, the FES has also worked in the area of development aid since the 1960s. Following in the footsteps of the early struggle for democracy in Germany, FES has continued its mission to fight social and political injustice in a spirit of pluralism and participatory democracy.

The Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) was founded in 1925 as a political legacy of Germany´s first democratically elected president, Friedrich Ebert.

Ebert, a Social Democrat from a humble crafts background who had risen to hold the highest political office in his country, in response to his own painful experience in political confrontation had proposed the establishment of a foundation to serve the following aims:

-    furthering political and social education of individuals from all walks of life in the spirit of democracy and pluralism,
-    facilitating access to university education and research for gifted young people by providing scholarships,
-    contributing to international understanding and cooperation.

The Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, which was banned by the Nazis in 1933 and re-established in 1947, continues todayto pursue these aims in all its extensive activities.

As a private cultural non-profit institution, it is committedto the ideas and basic values of social democracy.