Merkel's husband, the board of trustees of the new Springer Foundation (photo: Wikimedia Commons)
Foundations have two main functions: 1 They are a tax shelter. Second You buy with the help of their influence.
Of these there are in the house of Springer apparently not enough for Friede Springer founds in addition to those already existing, the heart and the Axel Springer Foundation, yet another - the peace-Springer Foundation.
( WORLD dated 01.29.2011 ): "Berlin (dpa) - publisher Friede Springer has established a foundation to promote science, art, culture and education. The initial capital of Friede Springer Foundation amounts to 80 million euros, as the organization announced on Monday. The money came from the personal assets of the widow of Axel Springer. Chairman of the Foundation, based in Berlin, Friede Springer himself is sitting next to her and the board of trustees of the former Federal President Horst Köhler and the current Federal Commissioner for Stasi files, Marianne Birthler. The new foundation is independent of the Friede Springer Heart Foundation and the Axel Springer Foundation. "
"World on Sunday : How is the new foundation be structured? And who decides?
Friede Springer: There is a board of trustees, consisting of six persons: Marianne Birthler, the physician Manfred Gahr from Dresden, the former Federal President Horst Köhler, Christoph Markschies, Joachim Sauer (hervorg. FB) and Eric Schweitzer, the Board of the ALBA Group. As you can see a broad spectrum, a really highly competent board of trustees. It will discuss the proposals. The final decision-making power but I keep before me, the Board of Trustees has an advisory role. The foundation will be separated clearly from the publisher, they will not be a corporate foundation. It is solely my personal project and completely independent from the publisher. The capital of the Foundation comes from my own property.
World on Sunday: What is the seed money for your foundation?
Friede Springer: It is 80 million euros. Since foundations are allowed to operate even with the yields are probably two million euros per year for the award are available. "
Thus it is clear that Angela Merkel's husband, Professor Joachim Sauer, the board of the foundation sits. (more ...)