As a future-oriented think tank, we, the 40 employees of the Bundeskanzler-Helmut-Schmidt-Stiftung (BKHS) in Hamburg and Berlin, address with issues that already interested Helmut Schmidt. We commemorate his political work for freedom and unity, peace and the unification of Europe as well as understanding and reconciliation. Three overarching programmes are at the heart of our work programme: 1. Europe and International politics, 2. Global Markets and Social Justice, and 3. Democracy and Society. Our experts bring together representatives from civil society, politics and academia in innovative formats for events and publications. We take an interdisciplinary approach to topics, explore global perspectives and look at phenomena from the viewpoint of contemporary history as well as in their present context. Closely meshed with these programmes, our exhibition „Schmidt! Living Democracy“ in Hamburg’s city centre reflects almost a century of contemporary German and international history. In it, we place Helmut Schmidt's achievements in current and historical contexts. In the Helmut Schmidt-Archiv in Hamburg’s Langenhorn neighbourhood, we make the private documents of Schmidt and his wife Loki available to researchers. The archive comprises about 3,500 files, 25,000 books and photo albums on more than 60 metres of shelves. The BKHS was established in 2017 by the German Bundestag as one of seven non-partisan foundations commemorating politicians. It is supported by the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media.
