History of the Foundation

The Second World War and the Post-War Period

In 1941, the Nazis seized the Heineman Foundation buildings and assets were seized by the Nazis and expropriated for the benefit of the so-called Reich Association (Reichsvereiningung) of Jews. The Foundation was dissolved. By September 1941, the Nazis had converted the houses into a “Jewish House” where Jews who had been driven from their homes were forced to reside. In December, the Nazis transported these inhabitants to be interned in Riga, Auschwitz, and Theresienstadt. None returned.

After the restoration of a democratic Germany, it became clear that the Nazi policy of racial cleansing had rendered the Foundation’s original goal of providing for elderly Jewish women essentially impossible. In addition, there was insufficient funding to repair the damage done by years of misuse as a “Jewish House,” and as an office for the SS and the occupying powers. In the deliberations over the reestablishment of the Foundation, it was decided that the Foundation redirect its efforts and assets towards the promotion of science and international understanding.

The New Founding in 1951

In 1951, the Minna-James-Heineman Foundation was legally reestablished. Its assets initially consisted only of the reparation claim for the return of its former assets, which were assigned originally to the “Jewish Trust Cooperation.” After the Foundation’s property was recovered, it was sold to the town of Hanover, which continues to operate a nursing home in this building which is named Heinemanhof.

In 1955, the Foundation was able to begin fulfilling its new purpose, even if only to a modest extent. It was unable to pay large grants until 1961, after the lengthy process of returning the Foundation’s assets had concluded. The Minna-James-Heineman Foundation began its work in the promotion of sciences after a brief experimentation phase wit grants to scientific or other non-profit institutions; e.g. to the Hanover Technical College, the Wilhelm Busch Society in Hanover, or the Association of German Scientists. The Weizmann Institute in Rehovot, Israel, was supported through the sharing of the costs involved in erecting the Dannie N. Heineman Accelerator Laboratory. With 15 million electron volts of energy, the Laboratory was capable of accelerating protons and other ions up to 50 millions electron volts or more. This allowed for Israeli researchers to analyze the properties of atomic nuclei, providing them with crucial knowledge of atomic structure.

After 1965, assistance to individual scientists was provided almost exclusively through grants. Up until 1986, grants to scientists of all nationalities for research residencies abroad were awarded primarily in the area of the natural science. Each grant recipient was to study at a foreign university. For example, the grant would allow a South Korean student who had started his scientific project at the University of Seoul to continue his studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T.) in the U.S. for the duration of one year. The homeland university would have to agree to the exchange, and the host university would have to accept the candidate and his project. Up until the end of 1986, scholarships ad grants were awarded to 252 scientists from 34 countries.

Reorganization in 1987

In 1987, the administration and work of the Foundation was changed again. This time, however, the emphasis was directed towards the areas of medical research and biochemistry. The post-war Foundation had been handled since February 1960 by Sibylle Evelt, who had also been a member of the Foundation’s Board of Directors since 1960 and its chairwoman since 1974. She resigned her post at the end of March 1987, and the responsibility for day to day management of the Minna-James-Heineman Foundation was assumed by the Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft e.V., headquartered in Essen. This change became effective on September 1st, 1987. There were other fundamental shifts associated with this change: the Foundation’s head office was relocated to Essen, its constitution rewritten, its assets re-grouped and its sponsorship policy realigned.

Today, the Foundation fulfills the obligations laid out in its constitution through the promotion of international cooperating in scientific research (the so-called Cooperation Agreements).

The Heineman Medical Research Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, the Weizman Institute of Sciences in Rehovot, Israel, and the Max Planck Society in Germany exemplify this commitment to international cooperation. In addition, other contributions are often directed to honor the historic relationship the Foundation has with the Hanover area.