07-06-2022
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."
