For more than four decades, the schwelle Foundation has been making “Contributions to Peace”. What began in 1979 as an initiative of a small group of committed individuals has developed into an established peace foundation with international partnerships. Despite many changes over the years, its core mission has remained the same: to support people and organisations that work nonviolently for peace, justice, and the integrity of creation.

Particularly important to the Foundation is its long-term cooperation with small local peace organisations. These organisations understand the challenges in their communities, have built trusted networks, and are well placed to foster lasting social change. Through reliable partnerships, the Foundation helps strengthen their work and expand their capacity to act.

1979 – 1994

Following several years of preparation, the schwelle Foundation began its work in 1979 and was formally recognised under the Bremen Foundation Act. Its programmatic subtitle, “Contributions to Peace Work", already reflected the Foundation’s ambition: to combine practical peacebuilding with long-term social engagement. The first Board of Directors consisted of Ruth-Christa and Dirk Heinrichs together with their friend and legal adviser Urban Bulling. Kristina Bulling was actively involved in the Foundation from the very beginning.

In 1985, Dr Burkhard Luber assumed responsibility for the Foundation's management and played a key role in shaping its development during the following years.

The Foundation's formative years were characterised by a wide range of activities. It supported humanitarian projects in Poland and Togo and, following the outbreak of war in the former Yugoslavia, began supporting local peace organisations in the region. At the same time, historical peace research and peace education became important priorities, including through the co-founding of the Working Group on Historical Peace Research in 1984.

Other areas of work included research into the long-term consequences of the Vietnam War, particularly the effects of Agent Orange; participation in the ecumenical peace movement; the establishment of the Ecumenical Service Schalomdiakonat; studies on military conversion; and the publication of the “Transcontinental Peace Letter”.

Even during this early period, the Foundation combined practical support, peace research, and international networking.

1994 – 2000

A new phase in the Foundation’s development began in 1994. The Board was expanded and an Advisory Council was established for the first time. Wiebke and Reinhard Jung became co-founders of the Foundation, and Wiebke Jung joined the Board. The first Advisory Council consisted of Kristina Bulling, Reinhard Jung, Klaus Schaumann, and Regine Heuer. Together, the Board and Advisory Council broadened the Foundation's institutional base.

In the same year, Raphaela Ertmer joined the Foundation's office staff.

The political upheavals and wars in Southeast Europe strongly influenced the Foundation's work during this period. It supported Bosnian refugees in Bremen and expanded a wide range of humanitarian and human rights projects in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, and Serbia.

At the same time, new social initiatives were launched in Bremen, including the association Arbeit und Zukunft ("Work and Future") and an unemployment counselling service in Bremen-Nord. Support for peace research was also intensified, particularly through projects led by military historian and peace researcher Professor Wolfram Wette.

2000 – 2017

In spring 2000, upon reaching the age of 75, Dirk Heinrichs stepped down as Chair of the Foundation. He and Ruth-Christa Heinrichs subsequently withdrew from the Foundation's activities. Reinhard Jung became Chair, while Kristina Bulling and Regine Heuer joined the Board. The Advisory Council—renamed the Board of Trustees in 2011—was gradually expanded to ten members, bringing together people with diverse professional backgrounds and life experiences.

During this period, the Foundation further refined its guiding principles. Its statutes explicitly affirmed a commitment to justice, peace, and the integrity of creation. This vision has shaped all aspects of the Foundation's work ever since.

At the end of 2007, Burkhard Luber concluded his work for the Foundation. Petra Titze assumed responsibility for management and has continued to play a key role in shaping the Foundation's development. At the same time, the Foundation continued to grow steadily. In addition to the two founding families, numerous supporters contributed through donations and endowments, helping to secure the Foundation's peace work for the long term. Equally important have been the voluntary commitment of members of the Board of Trustees and Board of Directors, as well as the dedication of the Foundation's staff. The combination of financial support and personal engagement remains a cornerstone of the Foundation's work today.

Following Raphaela Ertmer's retirement, Saida Halep assumed responsibility for office administration in 2015.

The Foundation also significantly expanded its international partnerships during these years. Particularly important was its long-term support for peacebuilding and reconciliation work in the post-war societies of Southeast Europe. The Fenix Social Centre and the Foundation’s partnership with the Center for Peacebuilding (CIM) in Sanski Most, Bosnia and Herzegovina, exemplify this approach. They demonstrate that reconciliation takes time: peace grows where former adversaries learn once again to live together as neighbours.

This work was complemented by new partnerships in Albania, Israel and Palestine, Cameroon, Tanzania, Croatia, Chile, and other regions where people are working for peace, human rights, and social cohesion. The Foundation also cooperated with the Bremen history project “From the Files to the Stage” and supported the Historical Peace Research Working Group's project “Dissenters, Rescuers, and Helpers in the Wehrmacht, 1933–45”.

A major milestone was the establishment of the International Bremen Peace Award in 2003, which has been presented every two years ever since. Through this award, the Foundation highlights the many different forms that peace work can take and honours individuals and initiatives committed to peace, justice, and the integrity of creation. Over the years, the award has brought public attention to a wide range of peacebuilding efforts—from reconciliation work in conflict regions and advocacy for conscientious objection to support for children and young people affected by violence, resistance to organised criminal structures, protection of natural livelihoods, and the strengthening of Indigenous communities and their knowledge.

Since 2018

The most recent phase of the Foundation’s history has been marked by both continuity and renewal. After serving as Chair for eighteen years, Reinhard Jung handed over the position to Anette Klasing in 2018. With the departure of Wiebke and Reinhard Jung from the Board and, later, from the Board of Trustees, an important chapter in the Foundation's history came to an end. For the first time, neither the Chair nor the Treasurer's position was held by members of the founding families.

The Foundation's work has continued to evolve. Since 2017, the recipients of the International Bremen Peace Award in the category “Encouraging Initiatives" have been selected by the Foundation's donors. New partnerships have been established with projects in Nicaragua, Togo, Bulgaria, and with initiatives supporting refugees at Europe's external borders. In addition, the Foundation has increasingly contributed to public discussions on peace, war, and nonviolent conflict transformation through lectures and public dialogue events.

Today, the schwelle Foundation works with partner organisations in various regions of the world. It supports peacebuilding, human rights, social participation, and sustainable development, relying on long-term partnerships, local ownership, and nonviolent approaches to conflict transformation.

Ruth-Christa Heinrichs (1979 – 2000)
Dirk Heinrichs (1979 – 2000)
Urban Bulling (1979 – 2010)
Kristina Bulling (1979 – 2022)
Burkhard Luber (1985 – 2007)
Reinhard Jung (1994 – 2022)
Wiebke Jung (1994 – 2021)
Klaus Schaumann (1994 – 2004)
Claus Bulling (1996 – 2008)
Regine Heuer (2000 – 2009)
Heide Seippel (2001 – 2017)
Jürgen Seippel (2001 – 2017)
Christian Garve (2002 – 2004)
Eva Dumendiak (2002 – 2008)
Jutta Boysen (2004 – 2008)
Benazir Lobo-Bader (2005 – 2008)
Britta Ratsch-Menke (2005 to the present)
Heike Mahlke (2005 – 2012)
Klaus Körber (2005 – 2013)
Anette Klasing (2007 to the present)
Rebekka Meyboden (2007 to the present)
Sonja Priebs (2008 – 2009)
Petra Titze (2008 to the present)
Jenny Kauther (2008 to the present)
Rosmarie Klesse (2009 – 2016)
Susanne Korhammer (2009 to the present)
Marius Pötting (2009 – 2013)
Beate Löwe-Navarro (2011 to the present)
Eckart Behm (2012 – 2024)
Hannes Menke (2012 to the present)
Markus Schmidt-Gröttrup (2014 – 2024)
Thomas Joppig (2015 to the present)
Elke Kinder-Bomhoff (2017 – 2022)
Heinz Bomhoff (2017 – 2022)
Christiane Mache (2018 – 2021)
Birgit Volmerg (2020 to the present)
Bärbel Ludewig (2021 to the present)
Johanna Zschornack (2022 to the present)
Heinrich Theilmann (2022 to the present)
Aissatou Bouba (2023 to the present)
Angelika Moriz (2023 to the present)
Çetin Gürer (2025 to the present)