Who we are

For 100 years the Possehl Foundation has been based in the Beckergrube, in the Lübeck old town, just like the company L. Possehl & Co. mbH established in 1847. It sponsors “all that is good and beautiful” in Lübeck. In its work the Foundation promotes the preservation of the city’s beautiful buildings and amenities, young people, the advancement of the arts and sciences and the alleviation of hardship. In the first seventy years of its existence the Possehl Foundation mostly only discussed a few funding applications every year – nowadays it receives up to 500 applications a year. In addition, the Possehl Foundation is the shareholder of the European Hansemuseum, the Theatre Puppet Museum and the Lübeck Puppet Theatre. With Possehl Prizes for Music, Art, Engineering and Architecture the Foundation also rewards outstanding performance. And it is involved in a joint charitable initiative to ensure greater equality of access to education in Lübeck.