The history of the Werner Siemens 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.
Articles about the history
The history summarized
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.
Information and publications
Yvonne Gross and Ludwig Scheidegger: Nora Füssli, published by the Werner Siemens Foundation, Thomas Helms Verlag, Schwerin, 2018.
90 Jahre Werner Siemens-Stiftung (90th anniversary of the Werner Siemens Foundation), published by the Werner Siemens Foundation, Switzerland, 2013. ISBN: 978-3-033-03229-3.