Foundations in Tyrol: Between legitimacy and abuse - a look behind the scenes!

Foundations in Tyrol: Between legitimacy and abuse - a look behind the scenes!

In Tyrol there is a striking debate about foundations that were re-sparked by wealth shifts in connection with the Signa bankruptcy by René Benko. According to information from ORF TIROL , millions of euros from Benkos Laura private foundation could have been passed past creditors, which leads to severe allegations of belief. The Innsbruck economist Andreas Exenberger emphasizes that foundations are used in Austria for secret asset transfer, which is considered to be atypical internationally. This uncertainty has caused the public perception of foundations to be strongly negatively influenced. Entrepreneurial foundations that do not serve non -profit purposes can be used abusive, according to the experts.

This discussion is also skillfully accusing the diverse landscape of the foundations in Germany, where there are more than 25,000 foundations. As the Federal Center for Political Education reports, 90 % of these foundations only pursue non-profit purposes, for example in the field of education or art. The assets of these foundations amount to around 100 billion euros and are used in a variety of projects that are mainly promoted regionally. Citizens' foundations are particularly active in Germany, which are sustainable for the community. These foundations promote local initiatives and are mostly independent of state structures, which makes them an important pillar of civil society engagement.

foundations in focus

Although foundations have the potential to address and solve social problems, the need for legal adjustments in Austria is increasingly discussed. Francesco Schurr, professor at the University of Innsbruck, believes that foundations can be very useful under the right conditions, but also offer space for abusive applications. The current crisis around Benko and the associated insolvencies illustrate how important it is to create clear regulations in order to address these problems and to gain confidence in the foundation landscape.