1952
First preliminary considerations by CDU politicians for a systematic civic education programme in the spirit of Christian democratic values, with the participation of Hermann Ehlers, chairman of the CDU's Protestant Working Group, who died in 1954, his later successor Robert Tillmanns and the chairman of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group in the Bundestag, Heinrich Krone, among others.
1953-1955
Discussions in the CDU Federal Executive Committee with the participation of Federal Chancellor Konrad Adenauer on the establishment of an education and training centre to promote young political talent.
20.12.1955
Founding of the Society for Christian Democratic Educational Work in Bonn as the forerunner of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation.
22.12.1955
Purchase of Eichholz Castle near Wesseling from August Karl von Joest by the newly founded association.
1956
Conversion of Eichholz Castle into an educational centre. First seminars in December.
12.04.1957
Opening of Schloss Eichholz by Federal Chancellor Konrad Adenauer with a keynote speech by the Minister President of Schleswig-Holstein, Kai-Uwe von Hassel. Bruno Heck is elected as the first chairman of the Society for Christian Democratic Educational Work, with Konrad Kraske as deputy chairman and Heinrich Krone as secretary.
26.04.1958
Transformation of the Gesellschaft für christlich-demokratische Bildungsarbeit e. V. into ‘Politische Akademie Eichholz e. V.’ Arnold Bergstraesser becomes first chairman, Konrad Kraske second chairman.
01.06.1958
The sociologist and journalist Rüdiger Altmann takes over as Managing Director and Head of the Eichholz Castle Political Academy.
01.04.1960
Peter Molt becomes Academy Director following the departure of Rüdiger Altmann. Educational work is carried out in close co-operation with the CDU federal office while maintaining the Academy's greatest possible independence. Intensification of educational events on European unification policy.
1961
Establishment of the Political Seminar in Schloss Eichholz with a seven-week advanced, main and advanced seminar as the starting point for the educational work, which continues in a modified form to the present day.
January 1962
The Belgian trade union leader Auguste Vanistendael establishes contacts with Christian Democratic politicians in Venezuela and encourages co-operation with the Eichholz Political Academy, so that political education work can soon begin as the cornerstone of the ‘Institute for International Solidarity’.
01.07.1962
Establishment of the Institute for International Solidarity of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation (IIS).
Summer 1962
Start of the International University Seminars at Eichholz Castle, which are organised until 1968.
Eichholz for young academics and students with the participation of international experts.
04.10.1963
Opening of the extension to the Eichholz Political Academy with modern conference rooms and guest rooms by Federal Chancellor Konrad Adenauer.
13.10.1964
Change of name of the sponsoring organisation of the Eichholz Political Academy to ‘Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung für politische Bildung und Studienförderung e.V.’ Election of the board: Alfred Müller-Armack and Franz Thedieck as equal chairmen, Konrad Kraske as managing chairman, Alphons Horten as treasurer.
December 1964
With its Institute for International Solidarity, the Konrad Adenauer Foundation is already represented in eight South and Central American countries as well as in Africa: Venezuela, Chile, Brazil, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Tanzania and Cameroon. In the following years, partnerships with Christian democratic parties, educational institutions, trade unions and co-operatives in many countries.
15.01.1965
Establishment of the ‘Konrad Adenauer Foundation’ study support programme, from 1971 Institute for the Promotion of Gifted Students (IBK).
01.02.1966
Bernhard Gebauer, already Director of Studies at Schloss Eichholz since 1961, continues as Director of the Academy after Peter Molt's retirement (until 1981) and continues the concept of function-related political education.
19.07.1966
The Federal Constitutional Court prohibits the financing of party political
political education programmes from public funds. The judgement leads to the Konrad Adenauer Foundation becoming even more independent.
01.10.1966
Adolf Herkenrath takes over the management of the Institute for International Solidarity.
01.10.1967
Foundation of the Scientific Institute (WIKAS), from 1970 Social Science Research Institute (SFK) for basic research in political education. Expansion of educational work at Schloss Eichholz through the Institute for Municipal Policy Education and Research (lkBF), from 1971 Institute for Municipal Sciences (IFK).
27.06.1968
Bruno Heck is elected Chairman of the Board of the Foundation, Manfred Wörner as Managing Chairman and Alphons Horten as Treasurer. Other board members: Federal Minister Kai-Uwe von Hassel, Helmut Kohl, Konrad Kraske and Lord Mayor Günter Rinsche.
1970
Second expansion of the Schloss Eichholz educational centre with lecture halls, conference rooms, offices and guest rooms. Capacity increased by thirty per cent.
1971
Establishment of the Institute for Municipal Sciences in continuation of the previous, already systematically organised municipal policy education events at Schloss Eichholz
(Director: Franz Schuster).
14.06.1972
Board election: 1st Chairman Bruno Heck, Executive Chairman Manfred Wörner, Treasurer Walther Leisler Kiep. Other board members: President of the Bundestag Kai-Uwe von Hassel, Prime Minister Helmut Kohl, Secretary General Konrad Kraske, Lord Mayor Günter Rinsche.
1973
Günter Rinsche is appointed Chairman of the Planning Committee, which develops new research and coordination instruments for the further development of the Foundation with the involvement of competent personalities and presents trend-setting concepts for international educational work in the following years.
1974
Philipp Ludwig becomes Managing Director (until 1977).
01.02.1974
Lothar Kraft becomes Director of the Institute for International Solidarity, Paul B. Wink his deputy.
01.07.1975
Establishment of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation's Education Centre (BWK) with the establishment of regional branches in the following years. Günther Rüther becomes head of the educational centre.
1976
Opening of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation's first European office abroad in Madrid.
01.01.1976
Establishment of the Archive for Christian Democratic Politics (ACDP) of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation under the direction of Klaus Gotto. Günter Buchstab becomes his deputy.
21.06.1976
Change of the foundation's name to Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung e.V..
December 1976
The foundation moves into its new building in Sankt Augustin, which brings the foundation's institutes together under one roof.
1977
The Foundation acquires Villa La Collina in Cadenabbia on Lake Como, where Konrad Adenauer had spent his holidays since 1959, and establishes an international meeting place here. The Rome and Washington branches are established.
1978
Karl-Heinz Bilke becomes Managing Director (until 1983).
01.01.1978
Foundation of the Office for International Cooperation (BIZ), Head: Josef Thesing.
01.02.1978
Paul B. Wink becomes Administrative Director of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation (until 1998).
Opening of the Brussels office. Founding of the Journalistic Promotion of Young Journalists as a special area of talent promotion in order to counteract the ideologization of the media by qualifying prospective journalists. Journalism Academy from 2002.
1980
Opening of the Paris and London offices. First call for entries for the Konrad Adenauer Foundation's Local Journalism Prize. Since then, the prize has been awarded every year to qualified journalists from the local daily press.
01.09.1981
Founding of the ‘Political Academy’ under the direction of Klaus Weigelt, alongside the continuation of the Bildungswerk as the Institute for Political Education (IPB). Schloss Eichholz remains the headquarters of the Bildungswerk, carries out nationwide educational measures and synchronises cooperation with the Foundation's liaison office in Berlin.
01.06.1982
Opening of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation office in Jerusalem.
1984
The Office for International Cooperation is merged with the Institute for International Solidarity to form the Institute for International Cooperation. Lothar Kraft becomes Managing Director of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation. He is succeeded as Director of the Institute for International Cooperation by Josef Thesing until July 2000.
20.09.1984
The number of Board members is increased following an amendment to the Articles of Association by the General Assembly. Elisabeth Noelle-Neumann, Paul Mikat, Hans-Peter Schwarz and Michael Stürmer become new members of the Board.
14.07.1986
The Federal Constitutional Court rejects an action brought by the Green Party parliamentary group in the Bundestag not to award public funds to the foundations to promote their political education work in future and confirms the allocation of global grants to the party-affiliated foundations, which are legally, personally and organisationally independent of the parties.
12.01.1989
Because Bruno Heck is no longer a candidate, Bernhard Vogel becomes Chairman of the Board of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation. Heck had held this position without interruption since 1968.
Deputy Chairman Manfred Wörner is succeeded by Minister of State Anton Pfeifer.
Wolfgang Jahn becomes treasurer. The new Board of Directors also includes Kai-Uwe von Hassel, Federal Chancellor Helmut Kohl, Konrad Kraske. Paul Mikat, Elisabeth Noelle-Neumann, Günter Rinsche, Hans-Peter Schwarz and Manfred Wörner.
10.11.1989
The day after the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Foundation's branch office in Warsaw Palace is opened as the first branch office in Central and Eastern Europe.
02.02.1990
A working group appointed by Chairman Bernhard Vogel initiates measures to promote political education in the GDR in close cooperation with the Foundation's educational organisations. During the course of the year, the educational centres in Leipzig, Rostock, Erfurt and Berlin are founded and established.
07.05.1990
Overall concept for political education in the GDR adopted by the Board of Directors, with particular emphasis on training and counselling in the areas of local politics, schools and universities as well as the promotion of gifted students. The Konrad Adenauer Foundation opens offices in Budapest and Moscow, from 1995 also in St. Petersburg.
1991
Purchase of Wendgräben Castle in Saxony-Anhalt by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation.
1993
Start of educational work. After renovation in 1997, the house is opened as an education centre.
1992
The Brussels branch of the Foundation becomes the European Office, which is to focus in particular on promoting European unification. The Chairman of the Foundation, Bernhard Vogel, establishes the Konrad Adenauer Foundation Literature Prize. It is awarded annually in Weimar. The first winner is Sarah Kirsch in 1993. Structural reform of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation with a reorganisation of the various institutes into working areas and main departments. The Political Academy moves its headquarters from Schloss Eichholz to Sankt Augustin and until 2000 was part of the Research and Consultancy Department. In February, Dorothee Wilms takes over the management of the foundation on an interim basis after Bernhard Vogel is elected Minister President of Thuringia.
20.01.1993
Bernhard Vogel is unanimously confirmed as Chairman of the Foundation by the General Assembly but leaves his office due to his function as CDU Chairman of the Free State of Thuringia. Gerd Langguth is appointed Managing Chairman.
Establishment of branch offices of the Foundation in Vietnam, Cambodia, Mongolia, the Baltic States and Bratislava/Slovakia.
1994
Opening of further offices in Tashkent/Uzbekistan, Sofia/Bulgaria and Kiev/Ukraine.
22.03.1995
Günter Rinsche succeeds Bernhard Vogel as Chairman of the Foundation.
His deputies are Anton Pfeifer and Gerhard Stoltenberg. Wolfgang Peiner becomes treasurer. Following Günter Rinsche's election as Chairman of the Foundation, former State Secretary Volkmar Köhler takes over as Chairman of the Planning Committee. Cooperation between the Foundation and the Harry S. Truman Institute for the Advancement of Peace at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, particularly on issues relating to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
1996
Opening of the Foundation's office in Beijing, People's Republic of China. New office of the Foundation in Ramallah to promote rule of law structures and local administration in the autonomous territories of Palestine.
06.05.1997
Ottfried Hennig is appointed to the newly created post of Secretary General of the Foundation following the resignation of Gerd Langguth as Managing Chairman.
23.06.1998
Congress of civil rights activists organised by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in the Gewandhaus Leipzig with approx. 2000 participants under the motto ‘Giving democracy a future’ with Federal President Roman Herzog.
25.07.1998
Opening of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation building as the Capital Forum in Berlin's Tiergarten by Federal Chancellor Helmut Kohl. The Political Academy is relocated from Sankt Augustin to Berlin.
01.08.1999
Following Ottfried Hennig's resignation from the office of Secretary General due to illness, Wilhelm Staudacher takes over this function. Ottfried Hennig dies on 19 October.
04.11.1999
The Friends of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation is founded to promote the Foundation's activities and to intensify interest in Christian-Democratic educational work in Germany.
08.02.2000
The Board of Directors appoints a Board of Trustees to advise and support the Foundation, chaired by former Federal President Roman Herzog. The Board of Trustees consists of 22 personalities from politics, business and science. As part of a structural change, the main department ‘Domestic Policy and Social Market Economy’ is newly established.
27./28.09.2000
Festive event to mark the tenth anniversary of reunification in Berlin's ‘Tränenpalast’ on the subject of ‘Europe and German Unity’. Josef Thesing becomes Deputy Secretary General of the Foundation following the departure of Lothar Kraft. Peter R. Weilemann and Winfried Jung take over the management of international work.
30.03.2001
As successor to Günter Rinsche, Bernhard Vogel is re-elected Chairman by the Chairman by the General Assembly. His deputies are Anton Pfeifer, Norbert Lammert and Beate Neuss. Wilhelm Staudacher remains Secretary General. Franz Schoser succeeds Wolfgang Peiner as Treasurer. The Jerusalem Foundation opens the Konrad Adenauer Conference Centre in Jerusalem.
December 2002
Josef Thesing retires as Deputy Secretary General of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation. His successor is Johannes von Thadden.
March 2003
Bernhard Vogel is unanimously re-elected as Chairman of the Chairman of the Foundation. In succession to the main department ‘Domestic Policy and Social Market Economy’, the main department ‘Policy and Consultancy’ is established in Berlin.
February 2004
The two main departments ‘Policy and Consultancy’ and ‘International Co-operation’ complete their move from Sankt Augustin to Berlin.
10.05.2004
Christoph Kannengießer takes over from Deputy Secretary General Johannes von Thadden, who joined the CDU as Federal Managing Director on 1 January 2004.
18.03.2005
Bernhard Vogel is unanimously confirmed as Chairman of the Foundation for a further term of office by the General Assembly. The three Deputy Chairmen and the Secretary General are also confirmed in their posts. On the same day, the foundation stone is laid for the Foundation's new administrative building in Berlin.
January 2007
The initiative ‘Germany - Land of Ideas’ under the patronage of Federal President Horst Köhler honours the Konrad Adenauer Foundation as a ‘Selected Landmark’.
July 2007
Prof Dr Bernhard Vogel is unanimously confirmed in his office as honorary chairman.
01.10.2007
Deputy Secretary General Christoph Kannengießer moves to the Markenverband as Managing Director. His successor is Dr Gerhard Wahlers, who takes on this role in addition to his management of the International Cooperation Department.
17.11.2008
The new Secretary General Michael Thielen takes up his post. Thielen was unanimously elected by the General Assembly in June on the recommendation of the Chairman of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, former Minister President Prof Dr Bernhard Vogel. Thielen will succeed former State Secretary Wilhelm Staudacher.
04.12.2009
The General Assembly of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation elects the former President of the European Parliament, Hans-Gert Pöttering, as the new Chairman of the Foundation. Pöttering takes office on 1 January 2010.
11.06.2010
The Konrad Adenauer Foundation is the first political foundation in Germany to be awarded the ‘berufundfamilie’ certificate for its measures to improve the compatibility of family and career.