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Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung

Logo of Rosa Luxemburg Foundation (English version) (link)
Website:

www.rosalux.de/
Type:

Socialist Germany-based Think Tank
Status:

International Organization
Formation:

1990
Executive Director:

Daniela Trochowski
Location:

Straße der Pariser Kommune 8A
10243 Berlin, Germany
Budget (2021):

Revenue: €79,706,101.99
Expenses: €79,654,670.20
Assets: €35,253,509.40 22

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Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung (Rosa Luxemburg Foundation) is a German government-funded think tank that is associated with the German socialist party Die Linke (The Left). 1 Founded in 1990, the foundation works to adhere to the legacy of its namesake, German socialist leader Rosa Luxemburg, 2 by operating the Historical Centre for Democratic Socialism 2 and hosting the Academy for Political Education to promote far-left and socialist perspectives on various political issues. 3

Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung supports “democratic socialism with an unwavering internationalist focus,” 2 the critical race theory-influenced concept of anti-racism, 2 the pursuit of social justice, 4 and has previously made the case for expropriating Berlin’s biggest landlords. 5 In October 2023, U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) spoke to the foundation about socialism and other left-of-center politics. 6 Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung also serves as a forum in Germany to increase dialogue among socialist forces, movements, and organizations, left-minded intellectuals, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). 2

Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung reported revenue of €79,706,101.99 (approximately $86.4 million) and expenses of €79,654,670.20 (approximately $86.3 million) in 2021. In 2021, €78,970,688.36 (approximately $85.6 million) of these funds came from grants from the German government. 7

Background and Leadership

Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung was founded in 1990. Since its founding, the foundation has worked to adhere to the legacy of its namesake, German socialist leader Rosa Luxemburg, and stands for what the group calls “democratic socialism with an unwavering internationalist focus.” 2

Daniela Trochowski has been the executive director of Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung since 2020. 8 9

Activities

Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung is a German socialist foundation that is closely linked to Die Linke (The Left), a “democratic socialist” political party in Germany. The foundation is committed to a “radical perspective” emphasizing public awareness, education, and social critique. Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung supports the critical race theory-influenced concept of anti-racism, anti-fascism, and longstanding left-of-center perceptions of workers’ and women’s movements. 2

Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung is one of six major foundations in Germany associated with major political parties that focus on conducting political education in Germany and overseas. Its highest decision-making body is the Mitgliederversammlung, or general assembly, which consists of 100 active members across Germany who are directly or indirectly employed by the foundation. The General Assembly includes active and former politicians of Die Linke, scholars, and other individuals involved with regional branches of the foundation. 10 11

The foundation asserts that social change requires a “reflective confrontation” with capitalist society and works to develop an alternative approach for social transformation to create a critical race theory-influenced just society. The foundation’s efforts to achieve this include funding young scholars with undergraduate and doctoral scholarships, education and training in socialist politics, analysis, information, and policy advice at the regional, national, and international levels. 2 In 2023, Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung said it aims to work toward a redistribution of wealth and what it calls “juster global economic relations.” 4

This is primarily done through organizing and disseminating information on social relations and serving as a socialist think tank to generate political alternatives to contemporary capitalism. Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung also serves as a forum in Germany to increase dialogue between socialist forces, movements, and organizations, left-minded intellectuals, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). 2 Through these efforts the group hopes to inspire independent socialist political action. 2

The foundation’s programming includes events, publications, and other activities organized by its partners in German federal states, including regional foundations, regional offices, clubs, and other partners. The organization host more than 1,900 events in Germany each year, largely focused on topics close to Die Linke’s interests. 12

In October 2023, U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) spoke to the foundation about socialism and left-of-center politics. 6 That same month, the foundation published a paper laying out a legal means to expropriate Berlin’s biggest landlords. 5

Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung has said that socialism remains a “distant goal” in South Africa, 13 claims that Germany is refusing to forego its colonial ambitions, 14 and supports rent controls and the critical race theory-influenced concept of social justice. 4

The foundation has stated that Israel must end what it calls an illegal “occupation policy” and cease the construction of settlements in the West Bank. 15 It also says that the prevailing narratives of the Oslo Accords create one-sided national narratives about the accords. 16

Research

The foundation operates the Historical Centre for Democratic Socialism. This center combines the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation’s archives, library, and history unit to coordinate and strategically develop its historical work documenting the activities of the political left. 2 Its research and publication focus on socialism and communism, Rosa Luxemburg, internationalism, and the history of migration. The Historical Centre cooperates with many institutions and partner organizations in Germany and abroad. It publishes a monthly newsletter and is active on social media. 7

Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung hosts an Academy for Political Education to promote left-of-center perspectives on issues including political further education, a municipal academy, youth education, neo-Nazism and ideologies of discrimination, political economy, socio-ecological transformation, migration, international politics, and other issues. 3 The foundation also works to train and educate its adherents in socialist politics, analysis, information, and policy advice at the regional, national, and international level. 2

The Institute for Critical Social Analysis helps support how the left can pursue a socialist transformation in Luxemburg’s vision. Socialist transformation of modern society constitutes the heart of the Institute for Critical Social Analysis’s work at the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation. 17

The foundation works with the far-left Historical Center for Democratic Socialism to document historical events and political efforts from the political left. It supports left-of-center and socialist scholars in Germany through its Scholarship Department as well. 2 The foundation’s scholarship awards and grants to undergraduate and doctoral students from Germany and abroad support its left-of-center and socialist viewpoints. The scholarship fund gives preference to women, migrants, and individuals with different academic backgrounds and helps to support political training in rhetoric, conflict management, and other skill sets. 18 Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung also runs the Center for International Dialogue to support socialism overseas. 19

L!NX is Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung’s digital education platform. Online since 2022, the platform focuses on trade and globalization, history and culture, economy and labor, the critical race theory-influenced concept of anti-racism, anti-fascism, migration, environmentalist climate justice, and other topics. 4

The foundation also organizes discussion groups on various topics including antisemitism, labor law, education, European politics, feminism, peace and security policy, migration, social-ecological transformation, the political right, unions, classes and social structure, and other issues. 7

Subsidiary Organizations

Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung has six subsidiary organizations. Harold-Breuer Stiftung is active in Africa; Erik-Neutsch-Stiftung focuses on artistic and literary matters; Max-Linger-Stiftung supports the preservation of works by East German artist Max Linger; Hermann-Henselmann-Stiftung promotes architecture and urban planning; Modrow-Stiftung promotes everyday work, art, the media, and culture of former communist German Democratic Republic (East Germany); and Clara-Zeetkin-Stiftung (For the Commemoration of Democratic Socialists) is concerned with labor and union movement representatives of the 20th and 21st centuries. 7

Funding

Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung reported revenue of €79,706,101.99 (approximately $86.4 million) and expenses of €79,654,670.20 (approximately $86.3 million) in 2021. In 2021, €78,970,688.36 (approximately $85.6 million) of these funds came from grants from the German government. 20

The level of funding for the organization is based on the electoral results of the respective party at the last four federal elections. Contributions to the foundation rose from €30.6 million (approximately $33.2 million at 2023 exchange rates) in 2010 to €77.8 million (approximately $84.4 million) in 2022. 21

In 2022, 50.02 percent of the organization’s funding came from the Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, 20.06 percent of the group’s funding came from the German Federal Ministry of the Interior, 17.61 percent from the Federal Ministry for Education and Research, 10.84 percent from the Foreign Office, and 1.65 percent from the Foreign Office for Scholarship. 22

References

  1. “Centre for International Dialogue and Cooperation.” Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung. Accessed October 29, 2023. https://www.rosalux.de/en/foundation/zid.
  2. “About Us.” Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung. Accessed October 29, 2023. https://www.rosalux.de/en/foundation/about-us.
  3. “Academy for Political Education.” Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung. Accessed October 29, 2023. https://www.rosalux.de/en/foundation/afpb.
  4. “2022 Annual Report.” Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung. Accessed October 29, 2023. https://www.rosalux.de/fileadmin/rls_uploads/pdfs/Jahresberichte/Jahresbericht_2022_eng_Web.pdf
  5. Drohsel, Franziska. “The Path to Socialization Is Clear.” Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung. October 2023. Accessed October 29, 2023. https://www.rosalux.de/en/publication/id/51180/the-path-to-socialization-is-clear.
  6. Bernie Sanders and Ingar Solty. “It’s time to change this system.” Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung. October 13, 2023. Accessed October 29, 2023. https://www.rosalux.de/news/id/51143/es-ist-an-der-zeit-dieses-system-zu-aendern.
  7. “Historical Centre for Democratic Socialism.” Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung. Accessed October 29, 2023. https://www.rosalux.de/en/foundation/historical-centre.
  8. “Daniela Trochowski.” Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung. Accessed October 29, 2023. https://www.rosalux.de/en/profile/es_detail/PKDTQWQD9Y/daniela-trochowski?cHash=71bbef983ef545b26cb75c8d035df833.
  9. “Management” Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung. Accessed October 29, 2023. https://www.rosalux.de/en/foundation/organization-chart.
  10. “About Us.” Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung. Accessed October 29, 2023.
    https://www.rosalux.de/en/foundation/about-us.
  11. “Boards and Assemblies.” Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung. Accessed October 29, 2023. https://www.rosalux.de/en/foundation/boards-and-assemblies.
  12. “Department of Regoinal Coordination.” Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung. Accessed October 29, 2023. https://www.rosalux.de/en/foundation/department-of-regional-coordination.
  13. Tau, Rebone. “Chris Hani’s Dream Deferred.” Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung. April 10, 2023. https://www.rosalux.de/en/news/id/50244/chris-hanis-dream-deferred.
  14. Aguigah, Elias. “A Means to (German) Ends.” Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung. June 9, 2023. Accessed October 29, 2023. https://www.rosalux.de/en/news/id/50556/a-means-to-german-ends.
  15. Heinz Bierbaum and Daniela Trochowski. “Against the Logic of Violence.” Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung. October 11, 2023. Accessed October 29, 2023. https://www.rosalux.de/en/news/id/51112/against-the-logic-of-violence.
  16. Degani, Arnon. “The Oslo Accords at 30.” Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung. September 13, 2023. Accessed October 29, 2023. https://www.rosalux.de/en/news/id/51026/the-oslo-accords-at-30.
  17. “Institute for Critical Social Analysis.” Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung. Accessed October 29, 2023. https://www.rosalux.de/en/foundation/ifg.
  18. “Scholarship Department.” Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung. Accessed October 29, 2023. https://www.rosalux.de/en/foundation/studienwerk/.
  19. [1] “Centre for International Dialogue and Cooperation.” Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung. Accessed October 29, 2023. https://www.rosalux.de/en/foundation/zid.
  20. “2021 Annual Report.” Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung. Accessed October 29, 2023. https://www.rosalux.de/en/publication/id/46660/2021-annual-report
  21. [ “2022 Annual Report.” Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung. Accessed November 11, 2023. https://www.rosalux.de/en/publication/id/50979/2022-annual-report.
  22. “2022 Annual Report.” Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung. Accessed November 11, 2023. https://www.rosalux.de/en/publication/id/50979/2022-annual-report
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