ABSTRACT
This chapter analyses how the projects of the Foundation help us in thinking differently of the past. It is structured in three main parts: First, it explains the structure of the Foundation; it draws very much from the experience of an earlier comprehensive research project. Second, the chapter investigates the dynamics of the programmes9 with respect to conflict prevention, analysing primarily the annual reports of the Foundation Erinnerung, Verantwortung und Zukunft (EVZ ). Finally, based on interviews with former leading staff members of the Foundation EVZ, it discusses the question of the practical outcome. When the compensation programme for former Nazi forced workers ended in 2007, almost 95 percent of the circa 5 billion Euro, which originally had been the capital of the Foundation EVZ, were spent. The remaining 358 million Euro formed the endowment capital, which was to be allotted for future-oriented programmes9.
