Our commitment to the environment and the people in our community does not end at the gates of the Koenig & Bauer factories – quite the opposite is true. In addition to our initiatives to preserve and protect the environment, we recognise our responsibility towards society.
Against Racism and Discrimination
As a global press manufacturer, Koenig & Bauer has always stood for open-mindedness and tolerance. Our core workforce includes numerous colleagues who have fled their home countries for political or religious reasons. Some have completed their vocational training at Koenig & Bauer, others have started their careers with us. At our Radebeul facility, we support an association called "Businesses for a Cosmopolitan Saxony", which promotes the integration of refugees and immigrants into the economy.
Volunteering
The many voluntary activities of our executives and employees in the Chambers of Industry and Commerce and the Chambers of Craft Trade, as lay judges at labour and social courts, and in emergency organisations such as the Federal Agency for Technical Relief, fire brigades and ambulance services, are all part of our commitment to society. Koenig & Bauer also promotes political participation on municipal and district councils. In many cases, Koenig & Bauer employees are given time off for their various voluntary activities.
Donations and Sponsorship
Our donations and sponsorship activities focus on organisations and initiatives that enable people to lead successful lives through education. We also support projects that promote climate protection and the sustainable use of resources. As a company with regional roots, we are particularly committed to activities that benefit the local community at our company locations. We also support a number of projects in Africa.
Group-wide guidelines govern the allocation of donations and sponsorship to ensure that all measures are both targeted and in line with the company's strategic and social principles. Here, you can gain an insight into a few of the current sponsorship and donation activities at Koenig & Bauer. If you have any suggestions or questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at engagement@koenig-bauer.com.
Social Sponsorship
Koenig & Bauer supports various social projects, foundations, associations and other charitable and non-profit organisations through sponsorship and donations in cash and kind. The Friedrich Koenig Grammar School and Fanny Koenig Primary School in Würzburg are regular recipients. Our subsidiary Koenig & Bauer MetalPrint organises an annual tombola for a children's hospice in Stuttgart, with the company doubling the amount donated.
Science and Technology
As a traditional engineering company, Koenig & Bauer attaches great importance to promoting technological progress. We have always been committed to training the next generations of engineers. Koenig & Bauer funds an endowed chair at the Ostwestfalen-Lippe University of Applied Sciences and Arts to promote research and development in the field of document authentication and classification. The Museum of the Printing Arts in Leipzig, the Gutenberg Museum in Mainz and the print workshop of the Künstlerhaus artists’ centre in Würzburg are supported by way of machinery loans and donations. Koenig & Bauer is a sponsor of the German Packaging Museum in Heidelberg and the Stuttgart Media University (HdM). The Dr Hans and Benno Bolza Foundation awards prizes for outstanding scientific papers in the fields of mechanical and electrical engineering, with a focus on sustainable solutions and work with practical relevance for press engineering and printing technologies. The foundation is named after the two great-grandsons of company founder and industry pioneer Friedrich Koenig.
Environment
The importance of protecting our climate and environment is becoming ever more apparent. That is why Koenig & Bauer supports projects aimed at climate stabilisation and the development of sustainable technologies. In addition to sponsoring industry prizes such as the Druck & Medien Award for the eco-friendly company of the year, Koenig & Bauer has presented a specially created Green Dot Award since 2022. The award honours international leaders who have already made innovative contributions to sustainable printing with outstanding ideas.
Current Projects 2024
Across India on Three Wheels
Two Koenig & Bauer employees, together with one of their friends, set off on a great adventure for a good cause. One of our technicians and a person responsible for quality assurance invested their holiday days well in January this year: 4,240 kilometres as the "Indergalactic" team in their colourful "Flotter Otto" rickshaw across India. The "Rickshaw Run" organised by "The Adventurists" is primarily about protecting the rainforest and experiencing a unique adventure together with friends. The three Karlstadt residents have also decided to raise money for a regional project: The Regenbogen parents' initiative is committed to supporting families of children with leukaemia and tumours in Würzburg and the surrounding area. Koenig & Bauer also made a contribution to such a great project and supported the Indergalactic team with a donation.
Africa Festival Würzburg
For many years now, the Africa Festival has been an integral part of Würzburg's calendar of events. It is the largest and oldest festival of African music and culture in Europe, and promotes cultural exchange by offering the participating artists the prominent stage that is unfortunately seldom granted elsewhere. Koenig & Bauer is once again the main sponsor of the 2024 festival.
Archive
Past Projects 2023
Secret Santa at Koenig & Bauer
The volunteers from "Liebe im Karton e.V." have been organising an annual donation programme since 2016 to collect relief supplies for people in need. In 2022, Koenig & Bauer already supported the organisation with a monetary donation. This year, the German sites went one step further: together, we were able to pack over 1,000 Christmas boxes for children in need in Germany and Romania at 5 sites and hand them over to the charity "Liebe im Karton e.V.". Many thanks to all our colleagues for their active support.
Jewish life in Germany
"[...] remembering what was lost, celebrating what we have in common and giving the new a home." With this in mind, the Jewish culture ship MS Goldberg sails to various ports in the Berlin area and brings visitors closer to Jewish culture in the form of plays, readings, themed revues, concerts, cinema, talks and experimental presentations. Koenig & Bauer was very keen to support the work of Discover Jewish Europe e.V. in the form of the culture ship with a donation.
Integration and Humanity
The association in Dresden supports newcomers and migrants in a variety of ways. The regionally active organisation focuses on people who want to find a new home in Dresden. Various services such as computer and language courses, as well as support with forms and mail from the authorities, are part of the help provided. Events such as the summer party are also part of the organisation's work. The network consists of well over 100 volunteers and a full-time coordinator. The work of these volunteers is essential for good and sustainable integration.
Die Arbeit dieser freiwilligen Helfer:innen ist elementar für eine gute und nachhaltige Integration, that is why Koenig & Bauer supports this work.
The more colourful the world is, the more beautiful
CSD Dresden e.V. sees itself as the voice of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in Dresden and Saxony and thus also as a catalyst for the elimination of current grievances, such as the discrimination that still exists against the above-mentioned groups of people in e.g. politics and society. Queer Pride Würzburg e.V. is also committed to a colourful, open society in which everyone can develop as they please. The aim of both organisations is to promote and ultimately achieve full legal equality for these groups in all areas of life. The support of Koenig & Bauer is therefore assured for both organisations.
Summer Academy in Homburg am Main
The Summer Academy in Homburg am Main offers participants interesting art courses revolving around the subject of paper, allowing them to experience how tradition and innovation go hand in hand in the world of printing. From papermaking and experimental printing techniques to a workshop on the "black art" of typesetting and printing, there was a wide range of courses on offer in 2022, and Koenig & Bauer was glad to give financial support to the funding of scholarships.
Peak Performer Kids Camp
Fun, games and real role models - learning and growing with top performers from sport and business. This was the motto of the Peak Performer Kids Camp 2023 in Lower Franconia. Under the patronage of biathlon superstar Magdalena Neuner, top athletes and top entrepreneurs playfully empower children to get ahead on their own. In Kitzingen, Lower Franconia, the focus was on basketball and table tennis. The key to the concept is that, in addition to the physical component, the focus is on inspiring the right attitude. Koenig & Bauer was very happy to support this project.
Themed boards on "Friedrich-Koenig-Trail" in Würzburg
One of the aims of Bürgerverein Zellerau e.V. is to further develop the quality of life in the Zellerau district. To further develop this, the project to signpost important points along the Friedrich-Koenig-Weg was launched in 2023. Three themed boards were created in collaboration between Koenig & Bauer and the Zellerau Citizens' Association, which will soon be found on the Friedrich Koenig Trail. For us, there was no question of supporting the Bürgerverein Zellerau e.V. in honouring our founder.
Der "Fanny Koenig Furniture Workshop" wird erweitert
Since 2019, Koenig & Bauer has been supporting the Baobab Children Foundation by covering the costs of 15 sponsorships. The sponsorships enable the students to train as carpenters.
This year's major project was the expansion and conversion of the Fanny Koenig workshop to make it fit for the future. Important steps included the procurement of tools and work materials, the production of dedicated workbenches, the installation of doors, the fitting of fly screens to the windows and the creation of a new sign for the entrance area. Finally, the workshop was given a fresh coat of paint and everyone was given new work clothes.
Water Rescue Service (Bavarian Red Cross)
The Bavarian Red Cross Water Rescue Service is dedicated to safety in and around water. In addition to prevention work through swimming training and youth work, the organisation is also active in water rescue and disaster control, for example in the event of floods or heavy rainfall. For this purpose, Wasserwacht has mobile rapid response teams around the clock, staffed by volunteers. Koenig & Bauer made it possible for the Würzburg water rescue group to purchase a set of equipment for flowing water rescue in order to train the helpers and for use in strongly flowing waters.
TeamGreenSubmarine
To promote technological progress and the curiosity of young people, Koenig & Bauer is providing sponsorship to enable the "Team GreenSubMarine" group from Dresden to participate in the "FIRST LEGO LEAGUE CHALLENGE" competition in 2022/2023. Alongside research, design and programming insights, the project work will encourage the development of teamwork skills. Team GreenSubMarine's competition theme is "Superpowered - the energy of the future".
Africa Festival Würzburg
For many years now, the Africa Festival has been an integral part of Würzburg's calendar of events. It is the largest and oldest festival of African music and culture in Europe, and promotes cultural exchange by offering the participating artists the prominent stage that is unfortunately seldom granted elsewhere. Koenig & Bauer is once again the main sponsor of the 2023 festival.
Earthquake aid in Syria and Turkey
On 6 February 2023, severe earthquakes occurred in Turkey and Syria with devastating consequences for the people in both countries. No donation, not even ours, will be able to compensate for the suffering and grief, but every bit of help was needed at this time. That is why Koenig & Bauer made a donation.
Kiwanis Club: Premature Baby Aftercare and School Bag Project
The approximately 15,000 local Kiwanis clubs worldwide support children in need through various projects. The Würzburg club, for example, organises regular charity events to help fund projects such as aftercare for premature babies. The aftercare project was set up together with the University Children's Hospital to provide specially trained staff to support parents during the period of intensive aftercare following discharge from hospital. Koenig & Bauer has made a donation to the "Kiwanians" in 2023 to support both this project and an initiative to provide 25 needy children with school bags.
Bakita Girls
The Bakita Girls project has been supporting the education of young women in the Ifakara region of Tanzania since 2010. Poverty, lack of sexual education and widespread disregard for women's rights create a spiral of exploitation, traumatisation and marginalisation. Bakita Girls offers women in the region not only a safe place to stay, but also the prospect of a self-determined life free from violence. Koenig & Bauer has supported the project for several years in order to promote women's opportunities for academic and vocational training.
Voluntary commitment
Many charitable projects deserve financial help. In order to be able to support as many great projects as possible, Koenig & Bauer was inspired by its employees this year. For example, all employees were able to present their own voluntary work in an organisation and look forward to support, or submit regional associations, events or school campaigns. The result was a colourful potpourri of diverse projects. Many thanks to all employees for their voluntary commitment.
A total of 14 further projects were supported this year.
Past Projects 2022
Baobab Children Foundation
In recent years, the Baobab Children Foundation in Ghana has built a training centre with an integrated school. The foundation's aim is to enable young people to complete vocational training with a state examination after four years of schooling and a year's work experience. Koenig & Bauer has supported the Baobab Children Foundation for several years with sponsorship to give young people a chance and prospects for the future.
Support for Medical Care in Bolivia
The goal of an initiative set up by Interplast Germany e.V. to support local medical care in Bolivia is to facilitate operations and preventive measures in a voluntary capacity. In addition to helping families who cannot afford medical treatment, a focus is placed on the professional training of staff in the field of rehabilitation. This is naturally dependent on the availability of technical equipment. Koenig & Bauer supported the project in 2022 by covering the costs of packaging, transport and export customs clearance for two ultrasound units sent to Santa Cruz.
Culture for Peace
The Würzburg cultural scene collected donations for refugees from Ukraine at a charity festival. The campaign was launched with pledges from Koenig & Bauer, the Main-Post media group, Vogel Communications Group and krick.com.
“Liebe im Karton” (Love in a Box)
Since 2016, the volunteers of Liebe im Karton e.V. have organised an annual charity drive to collect relief supplies for people in need. In addition to providing the boxes, they also collect the filled parcels and provide for transport to the selected regions (2022: Syria, Iraq, Greece, Romania, Ukraine). Every single moment of joy is a gain for us all - which is why Koenig & Bauer supported the project with a financial donation in 2022.
Children's Home and Garden in Mbongolwane and Holy Childhood School in Eshowe
The Oberzell Franciscan Sisters dedicate themselves to helping people in difficult situations through a variety of projects. This includes a long-standing commitment to South Africa. In Mbongolwane and Eshowe, for example, they support a children's home and garden, as well as a school. In addition to the work done on the ground, the Franciscan Sisters' fundraising organisation plays an important role in ensuring the continued existence of the facilities, thus safeguarding education and a safe home for the children. Koenig & Bauer supported the project with a donation in 2022.
“Förderverein Bahnhofsmission” (Railway Missions Association)
The doors of the Bahnhofsmission in Würzburg are open to anyone in need. Whether comfort means shelter from the elements, a cup of hot tea or a sympathetic listener, the service is dependent on helpers. Koenig & Bauer donated in both 2021 and 2022 to support 24/7 assistance and specifically the "Courage Givers" project, a targeted training course for volunteers in psychosocial counselling.
Nicolaidis YoungWings Foundation
The loss of a loved one can affect anyone - and the heavy emotional and financial burdens can often be life-changing. As a non-profit organisation, the Nicolaidis YoungWings Foundation offers targeted counselling and long-term support to bereaved friends and relatives up to the age of 49. As reliable partners, the members of the foundation stand by those who are grieving and offer social support and networking together with other specialist agencies. Koenig & Bauer supported the foundation with a financial donation in 2022.
Kloster Oberzell
The Antonia Werr House at Kloster Oberzell has provided safe accommodation and support for women in crisis for more than 30 years. Following general refurbishment in 2021, the facility now offers 29 places. Koenig & Bauer provided financial support to enable renovation work and other necessary acquisitions for the shelter, because this is - after all - where the company has its roots. Koenig & Bauer was founded at the former monastery in 1817. And so our support was a real matter of the heart.
Baobab-Moringa Rainforest Project
This project, initiated by the Future Foundation for Development, makes an important contribution to climate and environment protection. To ensure preservation of the rainforest, a four-hectare area in the Kisi region has been declared a sanctuary. This means that it is no longer permitted to cut down trees or hunt animals. In addition, biodiversity is to be safeguarded by planting tree species that are no longer present. The rainforest is an elementary factor for regulation of the global carbon balance. Koenig & Bauer has supported the project since 2021.
Zero-Emission Banknotes for Colombia
The Colombian National Banknote Printing Office and the Banco de la República have launched a reforestation project to establish emission-free banknote printing: Trees are being planted in selected regions of Colombia to offset 100 per cent of the arising emissions. Koenig & Bauer supported this climate protection project in 2022.