History & Mission

The Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) is a private, non-profit organisation committed to the values of Social Democracy. It was founded in 1925 as Germany’s first political foundation and bears the name of the first democratically elected president of Germany, Friedrich Ebert. Ebert, a Social Democrat, had risen from being a simple craftsman to hold the highest political office in the country. Against the background of his own experiences in political confrontation he had proposed the establishment of a foundation with the following aims:

• Furthering political and social education of individuals from all walks of life in the spirit of democracy and pluralism;
• Contributing to international understanding and cooperation.

Through such programmes the political legacy of Friedrich Ebert should be preserved: the promotion of freedom, solidarity and social justice through a democratic political process. The Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung was banned by the Nazis in 1933 and re-established in 1947. It carries out its mission in Germany and internationally through its programmes of political education, international cooperation, study and research. At present, FES maintains more than 100 offices worldwide, of which 19 are in sub-Saharan Africa.