Education. Responsibility. Frankfurt.
The Polytechnische Gesellschaft Foundation Frankfurt am Main
The Polytechnische Gesellschaft Foundation is actively committed to the people of Frankfurt am Main. In the fields of the educational landscape and language education, cultural education, education for civic engagement and sustainability, science, technology, vocational education, social affairs, humanitarian aid, charitable work, and democracy education, we implement and support projects that foster individual personal development and strengthen participation in the community. In this way, we make a very practical contribution to a vibrant and supportive urban community – true to the motto “We are building the We.”
»To stand in the polytechnic tradition means to confront societal challenges and develop practical solutions.«
Diversity and Cohesion
The Polytechnische Gesellschaft Foundation was established in 2005 by the long-standing Polytechnische Gesellschaft e. V. For the establishment of the foundation, Polytechnische Gesellschaft e. V. made available the majority of the proceeds it received in 2005 from the sale of Frankfurter Sparkasse. By approving this sale, the “Polytechnicians” themselves became founders. The foundation’s endowment currently amounts to 467 million euros (as of December 31, 2022). A comprehensive overview of asset management is provided in the annual activity report.
Through its projects, the foundation seeks to generate direct benefit, strengthen people in concrete ways, and clearly communicate the foundation's work and its objectives: innovative, useful, practical, understandable, and visible.
The foundation's flagship projects range from Deutschsommer to the Diesterweg Scholarship for children and their parents, from the Main-Campus Scholarship Program to the District Ambassadors. In all of these – in keeping with the values of the Enlightenment – the focus is on education, reason, and responsibility in the broadest sense. The foundation provides both broad-reach and excellence-focused funding and supports third-party projects that offer significant benefit to the citizens of Frankfurt. It pays particular attention to areas of society that require special support – and does what is lacking and beneficial.
How We Work
»Diversity without unity is arbitrariness.« This maxim of the French philosopher Blaise Pascal may be regarded as the motto of the Polytechnische Gesellschaft Foundation. Its commitment to education and responsibility is based on a systematic structure of interlinked and sequentially developed projects. Through these so-called project chains, the foundation ensures the coherent continuity and lasting impact of its work. Moreover, by providing support throughout educational biographies, the foundation accompanies many individuals over several years and across different programs as responsible citizens of Frankfurt.
Doing What Is Missing and Beneficial
The Polytechnische Gesellschaft Foundation seeks to help make Frankfurt a model for a modern, citizen-oriented civic community and to strengthen Frankfurt's position within Germany and in comparison with other metropolitan areas. To this end, it develops various projects and ensures their professional implementation and evaluation. As an independent institution, it uses its privileged position to test new approaches and develop the best possible solutions to a wide range of challenges.
A “Workbench” for Frankfurt’s Civic Society
The activities of the Polytechnische Gesellschaft Foundation are focused on Frankfurt am Main. Nevertheless, projects repeatedly find their way into other municipalities through project transfer, thereby expanding the reach of the foundation's work beyond the city limits. The foundation also supports outstanding third-party projects that provide substantial benefit to the general public but could not be realized without the foundation's support.
P O · LY · TECH · NI · CAL [ADJ.]
Encompassing many skills / multiple branches of technology, as well as of economics, social policy, or similar fields.
What does “polytechnical” mean? This term, commonly used during the Enlightenment, essentially refers to the diverse abilities of human beings. Applied to “Education and Responsibility” as guiding principles of the foundation, it implies the promotion of both professional competence and personal development of the individual, with the aim of enabling responsible participation in civil society.
Shaping the “We” – a shared responsibility
Help shape the “We.” Join us in supporting the people of Frankfurt. Together we can achieve more. You can get involved in many different ways, whether as a private individual or a company. Take on a sponsorship for pupils, trainees or students. Donate to one of our programmes. Become a founder yourself with a fiduciary foundation under our umbrella. Remember us in your will so that your assets can continue to have an impact beyond your lifetime.
You can find all details here (all in German)
“Doing something meaningful is fulfilling. Letting one’s own assets work in a fiduciary foundation for the economic education of young people is value creation for the benefit of the common good.”
Marga Coing
Marga Coing Foundation
