Foundation

The Bürgermeister Reuter Stiftung was founded on 17th April 1953 by the then-governing Mayor Ernst Reuter under the auspices of the Federal President Theodor Heuss and the founding board, which consisted of public figures from the USA, the Federal Republic of Germany and West-Berlin.The official approval was given by the Senator of Justice on 18th April 1953.

The Mission

The original aim of the foundation was to support the needs of people fleeing to West-Berlin from the Soviet occupation zone due to economic and political pressure. In 1952 there were alone 117,735 registered and 58,400 illegal refugees in West Berlin.The assistance for the refugees should not act as discharge the general national refugee assistance but should be regarded as additional support.

Three groups of people were worthy of support:

1. Refugees newly arriving in Berlin who are still in the emergency    photograph procedure during their integration process.2. Politically persecuted refugees and those whose applications for    residency had already been processed.3. Those whose applications to depart from East Germany had been    rejected, so-called illegal refugees who needed to find refuge in    Berlin for a longer period of time.

The aid program was developed together with members of the international rescue committee and consisted of, among other things:

The establishment of a coffee and milk parlour for refugees at Tempelhof Airport and the subsidy of the following: Drink distribution; refugees remaining in Berlin in the form of scholarships and training allowances; refugee kindergardens, sewing and ironing parlours.

Structure

Dr. Wilbrant was named as the Chief Executive. On recommendation of the IRC, Ernst Reuter was appointed to the managing board.

 
The supervisory board was composed as follows:

• Senator Bach of the administration for social welfare,
• Baudler, Chief Executive of the Berlin central committee, for the distribution of gift parcels.
• Mr. Böhme personal consultant to the Mayor and
• Mr. Sternberg from Berlin, Mr. Opel from Frankfurt a-M. and Mrs. Matson from Munich, all members of the IRC.

All positions were voluntary and unpaid.

Funding

The funding came from the International Rescue Committee (IRC), a welfare organization founded in America in 1933 that particularly helped expellees and refugees from donations raised amongst the American public. On his visit to New York on 14th March 1953, Ernst Reuter was able to open the eyes of Americans to the plight of refugees in Berlin. He attracted friends and helpers everywhere. At the end of his visit to the USA donations amounted to around one million DM , which flowed into the funds of the foundation.