Our guiding principle over the past year was: “Our democracy depends on us.” This is because we are worried about where our democracy is headed. We are witnessing a small number of individuals and organizations deliberately spreading distrust and weakening our social cohesion. We can see that their words are having an impact. The social climate is becoming harsher and public opinion is changing.

The consequence has been particularly painful for us: Those committed to serving our community – including many of our partners – increasingly find themselves having to justify the work they do. We see it as our responsibility to protect and support them. These individuals are the bedrock of our society – they are the people who take action, support one another and continually breathe life into our democracy.

As Robert Bosch Stiftung, we have a clear stance on this issue. We are guided not by political parties, but by the values of our founder, Robert Bosch: peace, freedom, tolerance, and dignity. We follow his example by grounding our actions in responsibility for the future. This means we speak up for our partners and for democracy itself – always with the goal of fostering dialogue and keeping spaces for encounter and exchange open. That is because we are convinced that a vibrant democracy requires both a resolute stance and the courage to build bridges.

Our work over the past year reflected this commitment. In 2025, we paid particular attention to strengthening the spaces where democracy is practiced and learned. As part of the German School Award, we presented special prizes to three schools for their outstanding approaches to civics education. We also placed a strong emphasis on social cohesion and our role as a bridge-builder in an increasingly complex world through local dialogue formats such as “Everyday Spaces” (Allzeitorte).