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High-profile guests such as Wolfgang Ischinger and Darren Walker from the Ford Foundation visit Augsburg / Fuggerei providing inspiration for the world and an answer to pressing social challenges
Marking the end of the 500th anniversary of the Fuggerei, the world’s oldest social settlement, high-profile international guests such as Wolfgang Ischinger from the Munich Security Conference, thought leaders such as Darren Walker from the Ford Foundation, and the German Federal Commissioner for Culture Claudia Roth will come to the NEXT500 Pavilion on Augsburg's Rathausplatz, which has become a magnet for visitors since it opened on May 6, 2022. More than 20,000 people from Germany and abroad have visited the anniversary pavilion since then, which has spurred dialogue between politics, society, and the foundation world.
The guest of honor of the closing event of the 500th anniversary will get to Augsburg from New York: Darren Walker, President of the Ford Foundation, one of the largest foundations in the world, will visit the Fuggerei in Augsburg at 11:30 a.m. on June 11, 2022. Afterwards at 5:30 pm in the Next500 Pavilion on Augsburg’s’ Townhall square, he will talk with Sandra Breka, the long-time Executive Director of the Robert Bosch Stiftung, and Claudia Roth, Federal Commissioner for Culture, about the injustice in the world caused by poverty and social inequality, and the social responsibility of wealthy individuals and companies. The participation of Darren Walker at the anniversary will build a bridge to the USA, where the idea of the Fuggerei can also serve as inspiration for new social settlements. "The Fuggerei is a prime example of what we can accomplish by helping to eliminate socioeconomic barriers and acknowledging that every person deserves a home," said Ford Foundation President Darren Walker. "This settlement has stood for half a millennium because it's proof that providing access to safe, secure, and affordable housing is essential for a successful and equitable society."
Already the President of the EU Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said at the opening event of the Fuggerei Next500 Pavilion in Augsburg City Hall on May 7, 2022, that Europe needs more Fuggerei, as it is a role model for safe, affordable housing, sustainable living, and social coexistence. She announced plans to foster a partnership with Ukraine, where the Fuggerei can serve as a model for rebuilding the country. "The Fuggerei anniversary is much more than an appreciation of 500 years of history. Rather, we have opened the door to the future, rethinking the idea of the Fuggerei globally. In the face of housing shortages, expensive rents, loneliness and social inequality, the concept of the Fuggerei is more relevant than ever. The Fuggerei offers answers for the future, so we are looking for new partners from all over the world to initiate new social settlements based on the Fuggerei model," states Alexander Erbgraf Fugger-Babenhausen, Chairman of the Fugger Family Senate.
On June 8, 2022 at 6 p.m., Wolfgang Ischinger, President of the Board of Trustees of the Munich Security Conference, will discuss the social challenge of providing security together with Franz von Metzler, Managing Director of Bankhaus Metzler. Particularly due to the current developments in Ukraine and the forecasts for the global economy, this far too often underestimated need for geopolitical and financial security will be put to the test considering 500 years of Fuggerei history.
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