We must never forget: Every tree is planted small!
At a glance
- Education is central for participation in society and shaping public life. It promotes the modernisation of society through innovations, which in turn increase social prosperity.
- In democratic societies, art and culture create spaces for debate and discourse. They open up new perspectives on relevant topics and are the foundation for our own creativity.
- We not only observe current trends and developments in the areas of education and culture, but also create spaces for encounter and interdisciplinary dialogue with our events and training programmes.
- Political education is part of our mission. In order to do justice to this, the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung dedicates itself to democracy day in and day out and imparts basic political and economic knowledge in its educational forums and regional offices.
Content
1. New perspectives on the world
3. Expertise for politics and society
4. Political education is part of our mission
5. Our offers and projects on the topic
6. Publications, events and media contributions on the topic
New perspectives on the world
Education and culture are an integral part of human life. They play a key role for both our individual development and for society as a whole. They enable self-realisation, bring people together and create a common basis for understanding. Education and culture connect people and open up new perspectives on the world.
Key issues of our time
Education creates the conditions that empower people to harness their individual opportunities, enable them to participate in society, and actively shape public life. It promotes innovation that gives rise to social and technological progress and increases social prosperity.
Art and culture open up new perspectives, reflect socio-political debates, and create a sounding board for dealing with reality. They create the foundation of our own creativity and further development. Art and culture are free and offer stimulation, food for thought and identity for democratic societies.
Expertise for politics and society
We closely follow current developments in the fields of education and culture, examine socio-political effects together with relevant experts, and develop recommendations for action for politics. We offer spaces for encounter, exchange and further education, where education and cultural policy issues are discussed and debated in small and large groups. We encourage discussions on education and culture, while also promoting free and interdisciplinary dialogue.
Political education is part of our mission
Democracy cannot be taken for granted, but needs to brought to life every day. As a result, the 18 political education forums and regional offices of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung impart basic knowledge in politics and economics across Germany, so as to enable citizens to responsibly and actively stand up for democracy. Each year, we organise some 1500 events in over 400 locations. While also providing various digital seminars, workshops and events.
In conjunction with overarching themes, we address features and debates that are specific to a region. Whether analogue or digital, around 140,000 people take part in our events each year.
Our offers and projects on the topic
Event series
The Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung’s range of events are particularly diverse in the cultural sphere. In addition to honouring important persons from the field of art and culture, we speak to cultural workers in different formats, facilitate exchange, thus providing a forum for the presentation of interesting works and excerpts from artists.
Homage
With the “Homage”, each year the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung honours an outstanding personality in German-speaking culture. In doing so, we place a focus on creative people who shape or have shaped our artistic and cultural life over the long-term. Those who have been honoured so far include renowned artists such as Barrie Koksy, Candida Höfer or Christo.
Berlin Dialogue on Cultural Policy
The Berlin Dialogue on Cultural Policy (former The Potsdam Dialogue on Cultural Policy) is a conference series held in autumn each year. Together with experts from culture, politics and associations, we discuss current topics pertaining to cultural policy.
Cultural Histories
In this series of talks, artists speak about diversity and tolerance in Germany. They talk about their biography, their artistic work, and reflect on issues of culture and identity.
studio online
Our virtual readings, renowned writers present their work, and speak with our literary consultants about their literary work.
Seminar, didactic and scholarship offers
Funding scholarship holders is one of the core tasks of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung. However, we not only support artists financially, but also help them to present their work in exhibitions as well as art and cultural projects. Our Adenauer Campus learning platform will provide you with exciting content from the field of civic education throughout the year. Specific measures for further education are offered by the DigitalAkademie, the KommunalAkademie and the Women’s Council, too.
Scholarships and Support for Artists
The Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung awards working scholarships in the areas of visual arts, literature and composition. Through exhibitions, we regularly present the artists at the Academy of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung and in rooms of cooperating galleries.
“Digital Education” on Our Adenauer Campus Learning Platform
Our Adenauer Campus digital learning platform is fully dedicated to the topic of “digital education”, which has attracted increasing public attention in the wake of the Corona pandemic. We use our own innovative projects to show what digital (civic) education of the present and future might look like.
Local Political Education Services
On our “Local Politics in Germany” webpage, we combine and connect local political expertise and address various target groups with broad-ranging educational services – from pupils to citizens interested in local politics through to local decision-makers in politics and administration. We look forward to your interest!
DigitalAkademie
With the offers of our DigitalAkademie, we want to impart pupils and teachers with skills in how to deal with digital media. The contents of Pupil and Teacher Academies range from digital self-organisation, foundational knowledge on rights and obligations online, extremism prevention, recognising and dealing with fake news, and the use of digital learning and teaching methods, right through to the digital orientation of the entire school.
Women’s Council
Women continue to be under-represented in politics, business and society. For this reason, with the Women’s Council, the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung provides a nationwide seminar programme just for women. With our multifaceted events, we would like to embolden women to position themselves well and take responsibility.
Podcasts and publication projects
In the following overview, the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung presents you with current podcasts and publication projects on educational and cultural topics, such as the “KUNST-STÜCK” culture podcast or the position papers of our Science Network.
KUNST:STÜCK – The Culture Podcast
We talk to scholarship holders of the EHF 2010 Artist Support Programme about visual arts, literature, and music. What does their art tell us about our world? How did they become what they are today? Each episode will include a discussion with creative people from our Artist Support Programme.
The Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung’s Science Network
The Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung’s Science Network is an independent expert committee with renowned personalities from the scientific world. It develops statements on current and fundamental issues of science and higher education policy, and publishes them in the form of position papers.
Prizes
The Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung’s portfolio also encompasses the regular bestowal of awards. Every year, the literature prize is thus awarded in the cultural field to distinguish authors who “lend a voice to freedom.”
Literature Prize
The literature prize is annually awarded to authors who advocate for human freedom and dignity, and whose works testify to political-social significance and aesthetic-literary quality. The award was initiated by Dr Bernhard Vogel and is presented each year in Weimar. Ulrike Draesner, Lutz Seiler and Barbara Honigmann are among the prize winners.
Publications on this topic
Die Richtigen in schlechten Zeiten
Inmitten der Krisen und Kontroversen unserer Zeit markiert die Literatur Positionen, fragt nach Werten, unterstreicht die Freiheit des Wortes.
Adobe Firefly/Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung e. V.
High-Impact Tutoring: an effective lever for improving basic skills
How High-Impact Tutoring can strengthening basic skills and effectively combat the education crisis
Adobe Stock / wahyu; generiert mit KI
Why an independent Digital Ministry is indispensable and how it could be structured
Shaping the Digital Future: One Size Does Not Fit All – The Urgent Need for a Dedicated Ministry for Digital Transformation
picture alliance / ZB / Volkmar Heinz
Postkolonialismus, Geisteswissenschaften und Wissenschaftsfreiheit
Über den gefährlichen Charakter der postkolonialen Theorie und wie sie Forschung, Fortschritt und Freiheit bedroht
Maximilian Gödecke
Iris Wolff ist Literaturpreisträgerin der Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung 2025
„Lichtblicke in die Zeitgeschichte“
Bücher der KAS-Literaturpreisträger zu Weihnachten
Über Historie, Erfindung und die Kanten des Glücks
Adobe Stock / vectorfusionart
The new role of leaders in data-driven school development
On the use of strategic data utilisation in the German education system for educational standards and the promotion of equal opportunities.
Alfred-Wegener-Institut/Robert Ricker (CC-BY 4.0)
Marine researcher Antje Boetius accompanied the KAS for a year
Report on the KAS-Fellowship 2023: Antje Boetius on the Arctic, the deep sea, climate change, sustainability, political consulting and women in science
Event Reports on the topic
KAS
„Unsere Ressource sind die Künstlerinnen und Künstler sowie unsere Kulturinstitutionen“
Berliner Gespräch zur Kulturpolitik
KAS/ Thomas Starck
‘The ME in democracy always needs a WE as well’
Strengthening what unites us: Mandatory time for our society
75 Jahre Grundgesetz – eine Würdigung in Wort und Klang
Feierstunde zum Tag der Deutschen Einheit in Kooperation mit dem Beethovenfest
Gute Bildung für alle: NRW macht sich fit für die Schule der Zukunft
1. GrenzRaumTreff unter der Schirmherrschaft von Minister Dr. Marcus Optendrenk MdL
KAS-Bremen
Extremismus-Aufklärung in der Schule mit Axel Reitz
„Ich war der Hitler von Köln. Mein Weg aus der Neonaziszene und wie Extremismus effektiv bekämpft werden kann.“
Media library
Facebook Live: Demokratiebildung - Aufgabe für Familie, Schule und Gesellschaft!?
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Foto: Pixabay
Reden wir über Familie – Der Feierabendtalk
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Novi direktor Fondacije Konrad Adenauer posetio fakultet političkih nauka
U razgovoru je bilo reči o dosadašnjoj uspešnoj saradnji ali i o njenom proširenju i novim zajedničkim aktivnostima.
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