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History
In 1959, a delegation from the Max Planck Society, headed by its president Otto Hahn,
visited the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel and established scientific
contacts between German and Israeli scientists and researchers. Following this meeting,
the German government provided DM 3 million start-up capital for research projects and
the exchange of scientists and researchers with the Weizmann Institute.
In 1964, the Minerva GmbH, now the Minerva Foundation, a subsidiary of the Max Planck
Society, concluded an agreement with the Weizmann Institute, thus forming the legal
basis for the funding of research projects. The German Federal Ministry for Education
and Research (BMBF) now provides the Minerva Foundation with funding for this
program in the amount of € 3.65 million per year.
The year 1973 marked another milestone in the exchange between German and
Israeli scientists and researchers. This year saw the extension of the Fellowship
Program (exchange of scientists and researchers between Germany and Israel)
to cover all research institutions in Israel. Since then, roughly fifty German and
Israeli scientists and researchers each year have been awarded a funded
research residency.
In 1977, BMBF funds were used for the first time to establish a Minerva Center
at an Israeli university. This initiative was based on the wish to utilize new instruments
of financial support to broaden cooperation. At the moment, there are 39
centers and one Minerva Chair in the natural sciences, humanities, and social
sciences in Israel.
The Gentner Symposia and Minerva Schools, which were initiated in 1973 and
1997 respectively, facilitate initial contacts between scientists in Germany and
Israel. Both programs round off the Minerva Foundation by giving special
consideration to the needs of junior scientists.
Since 1964, the BMBF has provided the Minerva Foundation with a total of
approximately € 200 million to support cooperative efforts between Germany and Israel.
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Departure of the
Max-Planck-Delegation on
1. 12. 1959 in Zürich
1965: The title "Honorary
Fellow" of the Weizmann-Institute being
awarded to Wolfgang Gentner (right)
f.l.t.r: Dr. Richard Kronstein,
Dr. Josef Cohn, Konrad Adenauer,
in the background Vera Weizmann
(1966 in the Weizmann-Institute)
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