United for the future
The University of Mannheim Foundation is based on an idea and initiative of the Society of Friends of the University (GdF). After almost 50 years of direct support, it established the University of Mannheim Foundation on January 2, 2000. After Absolventum established another foundation in the meantime, the boards of both associations agreed to join forces and merge the foundations. This led to the creation of the current University of Mannheim Foundation in 2005.
The anniversary event took place on September 30, 2025—thank you for being part of it!
The University of Mannheim Foundation has been supporting promising projects in research and teaching at the university for 20 years. The anniversary event took place on 30 September in the Rittersaal and the Gartensaal of Schloss Mannheim.
The foundation goes back to the idea and the commitment of the Gesellschaft der Freunde der Universität (Gdf), today called Freunde der Universität Mannheim e. V. (FUM). After almost 50 years of direct support from FUM, several board members of the association founded the predecessor organization of today's foundation on 2 January 2000. The merger of the predecessor organization and the foundation of the alumni association ABSOLVENTUM led to the establishment of today's University of Mannheim Foundation in 2005.
“For 20 years, we have been able to rely on sponsors, companies and private individuals who have continuously supported the University of Mannheim Foundation. This support is especially valuable in difficult economic times. Many projects – research projects or the Deutschland Scholarship – would not be possible in this form without the donations, capital contributions and testamentary gifts,” says President Professor Dr. Thomas Fetzer.
One of the foundation's milestones was the introduction of the Beste-Köpfe-Programm, which was made possible by a contribution from Dr. Hans-Peter Wild in 2016. The program has helped to keep international researchers in Mannheim and attract others to the University of Mannheim to remain globally competitive. Another success of the foundation is the Opportunity Mannheim Scholarship of the University of Mannheim Foundation, which was established in 2017. The scholarship provides students in financial need with the opportunity to take up or complete their studies. This fellowship was made possible by the capital contribution of Norman Stassen and RUFE Rheinhyp Unterstützungsfonds für Eurohypo-Mitarbeiter e. V. (ehem.). The Foundation's ad-hoc support over the years is also important: During the coronavirus pandemic, 130 students received support from the emergency relief fund and the university received funding for e-learning services. At the start of the war in Ukraine in 2022, five Ukrainian researchers were awarded fellowships to continue their research at the University of Mannheim. They have been working there ever since.
In his speech at the ceremony on 30 September, Dr. Josef Zimmermann, founding member and longtime board member of Freunde der Universität Mannheim e. V., looked back on the foundation's beginnings. Sabrina Scherbarth, honorary managing director of the foundation, and Tom Könemann, academic staff member and former Deutschland Scholarship recipient, reported on current projects and funding opportunities. President Fetzer concluded the ceremony with an outlook on the planned funding projects for the coming years.
A reception in the Gartensaal followed the ceremony. Guests had the opportunity to find out more about the Mannheim Institute for Sustainable Energy Studies (MISES), the Graduate School of Economic and Social Sciences (GESS) at the University of Mannheim and financial education projects (Chair of Corporate Governance of Professor Dr. Alexandra Niessen-Ruenzi).
You can find out more about the milestones of the University of Mannheim Foundation online in the current FORUM magazine.
Images from the anniversary event on September 30, 2025
Timeline of the last 20 years since the foundation was established (only in german)
We were supported and would like to thank:
Since its founding in 2007, the Graduate School of Economic and Social Sciences (GESS) has stood for the ideals of academic freedom, intellectual curiosity, the pursuit of knowledge, and a vibrant scholarly community.
GESS is supported by the strength and commitment of its academic community of researchers and teachers, as well as by its sponsors—above all, the University of Mannheim Foundation, whose longstanding trust and tireless dedication make our work possible. The dissertations produced at GESS are not only the result of groundbreaking ideas, scientific dedication, and an intellectual environment in which research can thrive—they also require essential financial backing.
Our heartfelt thanks go to the Foundation and all supporters, whose trust and generous contributions help carry our mission into the future, sending a powerful signal of shared responsibility for academic freedom, education, and the future.
Our warmest congratulations on your 20th anniversary. Here's to a new chapter that is just as successful!
Dear Members of the University of Mannheim Foundation,
Dear Dr. Wild,
On the occasion of your foundation’s 20th anniversary, we would like to express our deepest gratitude. Thanks to your generous support of the Professorship in Quantitative Marketing at the University of Mannheim, we are able to explore pioneering and transformative questions relevant to business practice and publish our findings in the world’s most renowned academic journals.
Your support not only strengthens the academic excellence of our university but also enables us to provide companies with well-founded, data-driven recommendations as they navigate their paths of transformation.
We sincerely thank you for your trust and your longstanding, dedicated partnership.
With the highest appreciation,
The Deutschlandstipendium has significantly eased my everyday student life and opened up new opportunities for me.
Before receiving the scholarship, I had to rely on several part-time jobs to finance my studies, which meant a lot of stress and hardly any time for academic focus or social engagement. Thanks to the scholarship, one part-time job is now sufficient, allowing me to fully concentrate on my studies—with clearly positive effects on my academic performance.
I am also once again able to engage in volunteer work, including as a team leader at Open Door International. There, I lead seminars that prepare young people for their voluntary service in the Global South and support them upon their return. I raise their awareness of global interconnections and promote intercultural understanding.
I am especially grateful that the scholarship has made it possible for me to spend a semester abroad in Istanbul. This represents an important step toward my goal of working in international cooperation in the future.
I am deeply thankful to the University of Mannheim Foundation for its support. It not only provides me with financial security but also opens up new perspectives and valuable networking opportunities.