Helga SchifferDie mildtätigen Stiftungen – Ihre Motive, ihre Entstehung und Entwicklung am Beispiel der Ehrensteiner Armenstiftung

About this book deutschenglish

The study deals with a topic that is of great interest since the Middle Ages until today. The charitable is one of various forms of the institution foundation. It serves to support individuals who, for various reasons, cannot master their own lives. Its origin, the reasons for its heyday in the Middle Ages and its further development up to the precence are described. The general first main part concentrates on the Christian, German-speaking area. The second part researches the Ehrensteiner Armenstiftung founded in 1499.

In each case, the motives are investigated which induce people or institutions, in the respective context of their time, to separate from their assets or part of them and make them available for specific goals they determine. The main focus of the investigation both in the general part and in the part of the Ehrensteiner Armenstiftung founded by the couple Bertram von Nesselrode and Margarete von Burscheid is put on the Middle Ages, in which many foundations were founded, led by Christian Caritas. Using the example of the Ehrensteiner Armenstiftung, it is shown which difficulties they faced caused by political, religious, economic and cultural changes, which endangered its continued existance, but persists to this day due to adaptation.

After studying extensive literature and reviewing archive material, some of which is published the first time in this work, it can be concluded that the charitable foundation will continue to have its right to exist in the future. Especially today, foundations in their various variants are gaining greater importance again.