Origins of the Foundation
The daughters of Carl Siemens established the Werner Siemens Foundation in 1923, in the small Swiss city of Schaffhausen. In creating a Foundation to support members of the Siemens family, Charlotte and Marie realised a long-cherished ambition of their father, who died in 1906.
The original purpose of the Werner Siemens Foundation was primarily to support members of the Siemens family who suffered hardship during the political and economic turmoil in Germany and Russia. In the following years, three additional women from the Siemens dynasty contributed significantly to the Foundation’s capital: first Anna and Hertha, the daughters of Werner von Siemens and, in 1941, Eleonore (Nora) von Siemens, née Füssli, the daughter-in-law of Carl von Siemens and wife of the grandson of Werner von Siemens.
Today, the Werner Siemens Foundation is a mixed foundation (gemischte Stiftung) with a dual-purpose structure. Its philanthropic activities focus on supporting outstanding, innovative projects and young talent in technical fields and the natural sciences.
Governing bodies
The Werner Siemens Foundation is structured in three governing bodies: the Foundation Board, the Siemens Family Advisory Board and the Scientific Advisory Board.
Siemens Family Advisory Board
Descendants of Werner von Siemens and his brother Carl von Siemens sit on the Siemens Family Advisory Board. The Siemens Family Advisory Board supports the work of the Foundation Board and holds important veto rights.
Oliver von Seidel
Chair
Düsseldorf, Germany
Dr Christina Ezrahi
Member
Berlin, Germany
Alexander von Brandenstein
Member
Hamburg, Germany
Foundation Board
The Foundation Board manages the daily business of the Werner Siemens Foundation.
Dr Hubert Keiber
Chair
Lucerne, Switzerland
Prof. Dr Peter Athanas
Member
Baden, Switzerland
Beat Voegeli
Member
Rotkreuz, Switzerland
Scientific Advisory Board
The Scientific Advisory Board of the Werner Siemens Foundation is an independent body that supports the Foundation Board in finding suitable projects. Members of the Scientific Advisory Board review and evaluate projects that fall within the mission of the Werner Siemens Foundation. The professional background and key interests of the renowned members of the Scientific Advisory Board are presented here.
Gianni Operto
Chair
Ebmatingen, Switzerland
Prof. Dr Bernd Pichler
Member
University of Tübingen, Germany
Prof. Dr Gerald Haug
Member
Max Planck Institute for Chemistry
Mainz, Germany
and ETH Zurich, Switzerland
Prof. Dr Peter Seitz
Member
EPFL, SATW, Switzerland
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Dr h. c.
Matthias Kleiner
Member
Berlin, Germany