Possehl-Stiftung
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1919
- HeadquartersLübeck, Germany
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
Possehl-Stiftung firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Possehl-Stiftung
- Legal name
- Possehl-Stiftung
- Website
- https://possehl-stiftung.de
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1919
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Possehl-Stiftung industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Charitable Foundation
- NAICS
- Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Arts, Culture & Humanities Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Museums & Heritage Sites (History, Science, Specialty) (BPAGAHAA), Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC)
Keywords
Where Possehl-Stiftung is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Lübeck
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Possehl-Stiftung business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Others, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Investment Income from L. Possehl & Co. mbH: The foundation is the sole shareholder of L. Possehl & Co. mbH, Germany's largest SME investment company with over 200 operating companies and around 13,000 employees worldwide. The economic success of the Possehl Group has been the basis for the foundation's work for over 100 years. The foundation uses income from these investments to finance its charitable activities in Lübeck.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Possehl-Stiftung product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Possehl-Stiftung is a charitable foundation that distributes grants, prizes, scholarships and operates cultural institutions to promote heritage preservation, youth, arts and sciences, social welfare, and non-profit organizations in Lübeck. It runs an annual funding program (processing ~500 applications/year), prize programs in art, music, engineering and architecture, and wholly owns two museum subsidiaries (Europäisches Hansemuseum Lübeck and KOLK 17 Figurentheater & Museum). Its funding is financed by investment income from being the sole shareholder of L. Possehl & Co. mbH.
Product overview
Possehl-Stiftung is a charitable foundation established in 1919 with its core activity being its annual funding program supporting 'all that is good and beautiful' in Lübeck. The foundation operates through multiple product lines: direct funding for non-profits, youth, and social causes; prestigious prize programs in art, music, engineering, and architecture; two museum subsidiaries (Europäisches Hansemuseum and KOLK 17 Figurentheater & Museum); and specialized programs including the Azubi Kolleg (apprenticeship support), Lübecker Bildungsfonds (education fund), and the sports talent program 'Wir fördern dein Talent!'. The foundation's assets derive from its sole ownership of L. Possehl & Co. mbH, Germany's largest SME investment holding company.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Possehl-Preis für Internationale Kunst: International art prize awarded every three years with prize money of €25,000 and an exhibition in Lübeck
- Possehl-Preis für Lübecker Kunst
- Possehl-Musikpreise
- Possehl-Ingenieurpreis
- Possehl-Stipendium für Architektur
- Wir fördern dein Talent!
Products and services
- Possehl-Stiftung Förderprogramm (Annual Funding Program) Annual grant program of Possehl-Stiftung supporting the beauty of Lübeck's cityscape, non-profit organisations, youth development, arts and sciences, and social welfare; approximately 500 applications are submitted annually via the foundation's online funding portal.
- Possehl-Preise für Kunst (Art Prizes) Two juried art prizes—the Possehl Prize for Lübeck Art (since 2018, up to €8,000, awarded in years without the international prize) and the Possehl Prize for International Art (triennial since 2019, €25,000 plus solo exhibition at Kunsthalle St. Annen). The 2026 Lübeck art prize was awarded to the artist collective 'die brachiale'.
- Possehl-Musikpreise (Music Prizes) Annual music competition and prize awarded jointly with Lübeck University of Music since 1963, honouring outstanding musicians in all instrumental categories; first prize €5,000; includes the OPEN SPACE prize for contemporary musical performance concepts since 2018.
- Possehl-Ingenieurpreis (Engineering Prize) Annual prize since 1983 for outstanding graduates of Lübeck Technical University in Electrical Engineering, Applied Natural Sciences, Civil Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering. 1st prize €5,000, 2nd prize €3,000, 3rd prize €2,000; over 100 prizes awarded since 1983.
- Possehl-Stipendium für Architektur (Architecture Scholarship) Biennial travel scholarships awarded since 2019 to talented architecture and urban planning students at Lübeck Technical University, providing €3,000 each to enable international study trips.
- Europäisches Hansemuseum Lübeck Wholly-owned subsidiary museum of Possehl-Stiftung opened in 2015, presenting the history of the Hanseatic League; welcomes approximately 100,000 visitors annually and was inaugurated by German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
- KOLK 17 Figurentheater & Museum Wholly-owned subsidiary puppet theatre and museum of Possehl-Stiftung, located in historic merchant houses in Lübeck's Old Town; reopened at its historic location on 21 March 2025 after seven years of renovation.
- Azubi Kolleg Lübeck (Apprentices College) First German program supporting apprentices' personal development during vocational training, operated by Possehl-Stiftung in cooperation with the Joachim Herz Foundation (Hamburg) since 2020, with HIBB joining in 2023.
- Lübecker Bildungsfonds (Education Fund) Foundation network initiative led by Possehl-Stiftung with Hansestadt Lübeck and several partner foundations (Gemeinnützige Sparkassenstiftung zu Lübeck, Reinhold-Jarchow-Stiftung, Margot und Jürgen Wessel-Stiftung, Friedrich Bluhme und Else Jebsen-Stiftung, Michael Haukohl-Stiftung), addressing educational poverty by financing lunches, school materials, music and sports programmes, and class excursions for children from low-income families.
- Wir fördern dein Talent! Sportförderprogramm Sports talent development program launched in 2026 with a €250,000 total budget, supporting Lübeck sports clubs (members of TSB Lübeck) in identifying and nurturing young athletes aged 8-16 not yet in performance squad structures; 28 projects from 20 clubs were funded.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over €55 million contributed to preserving Lübeck's historic city centre since 1950
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Possehl-Stiftung
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Possehl-Stiftung technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Possehl-Stiftung partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Joachim Herz StiftungcoreCooperation partner for the Azubi Kolleg Lübeck programme, a joint project supporting talented apprentices in their personal development during vocational training. The Joachim Herz Stiftung from Hamburg co-developed this first programme in Germany for apprentice potential development, established as a pilot project in 2020 for five years. Since 2023, the Hamburg Institute for Vocational Education and Training (HIBB) also participates.
- Hansestadt LübeckcorePartner in the Lübeck Education Fund initiative, working with the city's Department IV (School and Sports) and Jobcenter to provide unbureaucratic support for children from low-income families for lunches, school materials, and extracurricular activities.
- Gemeinnützige Sparkassenstiftung zu LübeckminorPartner in the Lübeck Education Fund, contributing to the foundation network that combats educational poverty.
- Reinhold-Jarchow-StiftungminorPartner in the Lübeck Education Fund supporting educational opportunities for children in need.
- Margot und Jürgen Wessel-StiftungminorPartner in the Lübeck Education Fund supporting educational opportunities for children in need.
- Friedrich Bluhme und Else Jebsen-StiftungminorPartner in the Lübeck Education Fund supporting educational opportunities for children in need.
- Michael Haukohl-StiftungminorPartner in the Lübeck Education Fund supporting educational opportunities for children in need.
- Deutsche Stiftung MusiklebencoreAnnual cooperation hosting the competition for young string players in Lübeck. Talented young musicians audition for valuable instruments from the German Musical Instrument Fund. The foundation has enabled this competition to take place in Lübeck since 2025.
- Kunsthalle St. Annen (Lübecker Museen)coreMajor partner for the Possehl Prize for International Art. The Kunsthalle St. Annen conceives and organises the exhibition and produces the catalogue for the prize winners. The foundation funded the construction of the new annexe in 2003.
- ARTPRESS – Ute WeingartenminorPress partner for the Possehl Prize for International Art project, handling press information and media relations.
- Gregor Wintersteller FoundationcoreTEAM LÜBECK partnership since 2019, supporting talented athletes in a development squad who compete for clubs in the Lübeck Gymnastics and Sports Association. Monthly financial support provided to athletes for one year.
- Turn- und Sportbund Lübeck e.V.corePartner for the 'Wir fördern dein Talent!' sports programme. Sports clubs must be members of TSB to apply for funding through this programme.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Possehl-Stiftung competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- Gemeinnützige Sparkassenstiftung zu Lübeck: Local Lübeck savings-bank charitable foundation already cooperating with Possehl-Stiftung inside the Lübeck Education Fund. Comparable as a co-funding, locally scoped German civic foundation operating in the same city and beneficiary pool.
Emerging players
- Ernst von Siemens Kunststiftung: Munich-based German foundation supporting contemporary music and visual arts through grants, prizes, and commissioned works. Comparable as a specialist arts foundation in Germany with a prize-and-grantmaking model overlapping Possehl's music and art programs.
Direct peers
- VolkswagenStiftung: Hannover-based German foundation funding academic research, science communication, and structural change in higher education and research. Comparable as a major endowed German foundation with science and academic priorities.
- Körber-Stiftung: Major Hamburg-based German charitable foundation operating across civic engagement, education, science, and culture. Comparable as a regionally anchored, multi-program German foundation with substantial prize, education, and cultural initiatives.
- Robert Bosch Stiftung: Stuttgart-based foundation focused on society, education, health, and international relations. Comparable as a large multi-program German foundation with a comparable mix of grantmaking and direct program operation.
- Bertelsmann Stiftung: Gütersloh-based German foundation operating across education, democracy, social cohesion, and culture. Comparable as one of Germany's largest operating foundations with extensive programmatic infrastructure.
- Joachim Herz Stiftung: Hamburg-based foundation focused on education, science, and economic research. Already a direct cooperation partner of Possehl-Stiftung on the Azubi Kolleg programme and structurally similar in operating multi-program civic philanthropy in northern Germany.
- Fritz Thyssen Stiftung: Cologne-based foundation supporting scientific research, young scholars, and cultural heritage. Comparable as a major German grantmaking foundation with academic and cultural program portfolios.
- ZEIT-Stiftung Ebelin und Gerd Bucerius: Hamburg-based foundation funding education, science, art, and the Hanseatic heritage. Comparable as a northern German foundation with overlapping priorities in culture, science, and heritage preservation.
- Alfred Toepfer Stiftung F.V.S. Hamburg-based German foundation supporting European cultural heritage, arts, sciences, and youth. Comparable in mission mix and northern German footprint, with prize programs in arts and academic achievement.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Possehl-Stiftung social profiles
Digital presencePossehl-Stiftung financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Possehl-Stiftung leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Possehl-Stiftung subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
Possehl-Stiftung funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Possehl-Stiftung M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Possehl-Stiftung
What does Possehl-Stiftung do?
Possehl-Stiftung is a charitable foundation that distributes grants, prizes, scholarships and operates cultural institutions to promote heritage preservation, youth, arts and sciences, social welfare, and non-profit organizations in Lübeck. It runs an annual funding program (processing ~500 applications/year), prize programs in art, music, engineering and architecture, and wholly owns two museum subsidiaries (Europäisches Hansemuseum Lübeck and KOLK 17 Figurentheater & Museum). Its funding is financed by investment income from being the sole shareholder of L. Possehl & Co. mbH.
Is Possehl-Stiftung a public or private company?
Possehl-Stiftung is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Possehl-Stiftung founded?
Possehl-Stiftung was founded in 1919. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Possehl-Stiftung based?
Possehl-Stiftung is headquartered in Lübeck, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Possehl-Stiftung make money?
One revenue line is on record: investment Income from L. Possehl & Co. mbH.
Who are Possehl-Stiftung's main competitors?
Gemeinnützige Sparkassenstiftung zu Lübeck is listed as a regional player. Ernst von Siemens Kunststiftung is listed as an emerging player. Direct peers are VolkswagenStiftung, Körber-Stiftung, Robert Bosch Stiftung, Bertelsmann Stiftung, Joachim Herz Stiftung, Fritz Thyssen Stiftung, ZEIT-Stiftung Ebelin und Gerd Bucerius and Alfred Toepfer Stiftung F.V.S..
Does Possehl-Stiftung have an API?
No public API is recorded for Possehl-Stiftung.
What industry is Possehl-Stiftung in?
Possehl-Stiftung's product category is Charitable Foundation. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAKAJ, Arts, Culture & Humanities Grantmaking Foundations, with a secondary code of BPAGAHAA, Museums & Heritage Sites (History, Science, Specialty). Its NAICS code is 813211.