As an inter-state institution, the Czech-German Fund for the Future is a concrete result of the Czech-German Declaration. Both governments signed its statutes on December 29, 1997, thus establishing it as a foundation fund under Czech law with its registered office in Prague. The mission of the Czech-German Fund for the Future is to support understanding between Czech and Germans in various ways, increase the number of bilateral meetings and expand co-operation through support of joint projects, thus actively contributing to the renewal and strengthening of Czech-German relations.

The Fund for the Future received a total of EUR 84,886,389 from the two governments to finance its tasks (DM 165 million, which equals roughly CZK 3 billion), which comprised its income during its first four years of existence and should be used in a targeted manner over a period of ten years. The Board of Directors, composed of four Czech and four German members appointed by the respective foreign affairs ministers, acts as the responsible body of the Fund for the Future. Membership on the Board of Directors is honorary, similarly to the parity-based four-member Supervisory Board, which controls finances. The Fund’s regular activities are secured by the secretariat, which includes Czech and German staff.

DM 90 million (approximately EUR 46 million) of the Fund for the Future’s resources is expended for humanitarian aid to victims of National Socialist (Nazi) violence, while the remainder of approximately DM 75 million (ca. EUR 38 million) is – after administrative and payroll expenses are deducted – designated for support of Czech-German projects focused on the future and for the work of the Czech-German discussion forum. In addition starting with the 2002/2003 winter semester, the Fund for the Future provides 10-month scholarships for Czech and German students in the humanities and social science fields who plan to work on a project with a Czech-German theme while studying in the partner country.

PROJECT SUPPORT

The task of the Fund of the Future is to use its resources to support joint projects between Czech and German partners, which contribute to further intensification of good neighbourly relations. The spectrum of project areas is very diverse in order to create opportunities for as many different forms of co-operation as possible.

Youth exchanges are an important area. Study trips and school partnerships are supported in this area along with leisure time activities, particularly if they are devoted to coming to terms with the common past and the future of both nations.

The Fund for the Future supports dialogue between young people and others through numerous events on both sides of the border: from partner cities’ activities to political education seminars, discussion forums and joint workshops and all the way to professional conferences and language courses. In order to draw truly all groups of the population into good neighbourly relations, the Fund for the Future also supports social projects that either focus directly on the handicapped or serve as exchanges of experience in the field of social welfare.

So that appropriate meeting and gathering places are created, the Fund for the Future has contributed to financing a number of suitable buildings. These include regional and national educational and meeting centres where cross-border dialogue and dialogue between the Czech population and the German minority take place. Additionally many church or chapel renovation projects initiated through the joint activity of former German inhabitants and current local residents have received contributions from the Fund for the Future.

In the cultural field the Fund for the Future supports concerts, art exhibits and historic (cultural) exhibits, theatre, dance or film projects, readings and meetings of artists as well as festivals. In addition the Fund for the Future enables encounters with the art, culture, literature and history of the neighbouring country by providing resources for translations of books, whether of fiction, memoirs or history. Joint development of themes of Czech-German (cultural) history and contemporary times are also supported on the scientific level through research projects, conferences or publications. Joint environmental protection projects comprise another important area for exchange of experiences.

APPLYING FOR A CONTRIBUTION

Project proposals that are submitted to the Czech-German Fund for the Future should serve to bring Czechs and Germans closer together and to increase understanding between them, and forms of co-operation should mostly be focused on the future. The Fund expects applicants to approach their projects creatively and to involve the public of both countries to the greatest extent possible.

Financial support may be sought by those wishing to implement a project with a German or Czech partner. Therefore the partner’s written confirmation of its active participation in the preparation and implementation of the project is part of the application.

Support from the Fund for the Future is intended foremost as start-up financing or as a financial complement for joint projects focused on the future, and thus it equals no more than 50% of the total budget. Regular expenses such as operational costs are not covered. For widely conceived and long-term projects (up to two years), the Fund for the Future as a rule only supports specific events. Commercial projects are not supported.

After examining project contribution applications submitted in Czech and German, the secretariat presents them to the Fund’s Board of Directors, which makes the decisions. The essential criteria for decision-making are a logical financing proposal, whereby the project applicant and its partners are able to cover at least half of the costs from their own resources or the resources of a third party, as well as a clearly visible and permanent positive effect on the process of Czech-German understanding.

The application must be submitted according to the planned implementation period of the project (quarterly) by these deadlines:

1st quarter September 30th of the previous year
2nd quarter December 31st of the previous year
3rd quarter March 31st of the relevant year
4th quarter June 30th of the relevant year

Application forms and more information may be obtained at the secretariat or on the Fund for the Future’s Internet site.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Secretariat of the Czech-German Fund for the Future
Na Kazance 634/7
CZ – 171 00 Praha 7
Tel.: +420 283 850 512-514
Fax: +420 283 850 503
E-Mail: info@fb.cz
Internet: www.fondbudoucnosti.cz, www.zukunftsfonds.cz
How to Find Us:

Metro C - Nádraží Holešovice (Holešovice Train Station)
Bus No. 112, Stop: Čechova škola
or
Tram No. 17, 14 – Stop: Trojská
8 minutes’ walk to Na Kazance street

The Czech-German Fund for the Future
Office for Victims of Nazism
(A branch of the Fund for the Future as a partner organisation to the “Remembrance, Responsibility and Future” Federal Foundation)
Na Poříčí 12, 110 00 Praha 1
P.O.BOX 47
120 21 Praha 2
Tel.: 224 872 710
Fax: 224 872 720
E-Mail: cron@cron.cz
Internet: www.cron.cz

Office of the Czech-German Discussion Forum
Na Poříčí 12, 110 00 Praha 1
110 00 Praha 1
Tel.: 224 872 713
E-Mail: ir@fb.cz
Internet: www.diskusniforum.org, www.gespraechsforum.org