About the foundation

When the ceremony marking the establishment of the “Gottlieb Daimler and Karl Benz Foundation” took place in Ladenburg on November 10, 1986, the weather was not as kind to the two founding Board members, Prof. Dr. Gisbert zu Putlitz and Dr. Diethard Schade, as it was on this sunny summer’s day: On the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the Daimler and Benz Foundation – the name it has borne since 2010 – a large garden party was held on July 24, 2026, in the park in front of Carl Benz House in Ladenburg, where friends of the Foundation gathered in perfect festive weather.

In the spirit of “Science Streets” – the project currently supported by the Foundation to promote innovative science communication – guests could experience science up close at this anniversary celebration: In a relaxed atmosphere, to the accompaniment of the swing band San Remo from Mannheim, guests engaged in direct conversation with the participating scientists at various booths showing selected projects funded by the Foundation. Prof. Dr. Jens Gerken and members of his research team, for example, reported on the current state of development of the software tool KonCheck, which uses artificial intelligence to categorize politically relevant information and to verify its authenticity and trustworthiness. This user-friendly app sets out to help people protect themselves against political manipulation. At her booth, microbiologist Dr. Lisa Voskuhl from the University of Duisburg-Essen showed impressive images and specimens of various algae species. This scholarship-holder of the Daimler and Benz Foundation is investigating how communities of algae and bacteria break down oil in a natural process.

Bertha Benz, portrayed by actress Angela Pfenninger mingled with visitors to set the scene for the official ceremony. The invention of the automobile – which dates back 140 years to the Patent Motor Car No. 1 built by Carl Benz in 1886 – and the pioneering accomplishment of his wife Bertha Benz, who undertook what is now hailed as the world’s first long-distance drive, epitomize the very essence of science, as Olaf Schick, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Daimler and Benz Foundation, emphasized in his welcoming address: “Research often begins with a question, a conjecture, or an idea whose subsequent impact no one can foresee. Transforming this into reality takes courage, trust, and support. This is exactly what the Daimler and Benz Foundation has been providing for 40 years.”

In his retrospective of the Foundation’s 40-year history, Prof. Dr. Lutz H. Gade, Executive Board Chairman of the Daimler and Benz Foundation, emphasized that the research projects supported by the Foundation above all address the areas identified as “blind spots” for major scientific funding institutions in Germany. “It is my hope and wish that future generations and Board members will carry forward the Foundation’s principles and values and further develop its clear focus on the future,” Gade said in conclusion.

In her keynote lecture “The universe connects: Academic freedom as the foundation of international cooperation,” former scholarship-holder Prof. Dr. Dominika Wylezalek took her audience along on a historical journey through the development of her research discipline: “Astronomy is perhaps the oldest science of all. It poses the big questions of creation: Where did everything originate, where is it heading – and why?” The astrophysicist, who teaches at Heidelberg University, highlighted milestone astronomical discoveries – from the geocentric and Copernican systems to Edwin Hubble, who proved the existence of galaxies beyond our Milky Way – and gave an overview of the current state of research. “The history of astronomy is a history of receding horizons,” Wylezalek said, quoting the astronomer Hubble. This statement can be equally applied to humankind, she continued, whose history is likewise one of receding horizons. “In order to continue freely advancing this expansion of horizons over the coming decades and centuries, support for independent research is essential. And this is precisely why we need research funding such as is provided by the Daimler and Benz Foundation,” she concluded.