Freya von Moltke Foundation for the New Kreisau

About us

The Freya von Moltke Foundation for the New Kreisau was founded in 2004 by citizens from Germany, the Netherlands, Poland and the USA. Her goal is to support and assure the work of the international meeting centre in the Polish Krzyzowa/Kreisau.

Kreisau is a place of historical importance: Here between 1942/43 brave people with diverse political, social and confessional background came together. The “Kreisau Circle” convened to develop concepts for a new beginning of relations between the German people and the rest of Europe after the Nazi-Regime. Many of their members, among them Helmuth James von Moltke, paid their vision and resistance with their lives.

Today the New Kreisau hosts the biggest international meeting center in Poland. Here many thousand children and young people from all over Europe, but also from Turkey, Israel, Georgia and Armenia come together every year. They have diverse, sometimes difficult social and educational backgrounds, different origins, some of them are physically disabled or have learning disabilities. In meetings, workshops and seminars they get the chance to overcome differences in culture, language and religion, they face up to human rights, civil courage and democratic processes, they learn with and from each other.

Since its reconstruction Kreisau has no government support and barely finances itself with gains from project funds, and participant’s fees, overnight stays and from rent and lease. But ambitious projects require money, also for repairs, modernization and equipment there is a lack of available funding.

The Freya von Moltke Foundation for the New Kreisau wants to change that situation and seeks to achieve this goal by increasing public awareness, bringing together a large circle of friends and supporters in Germany as well as worldwide to raise funds.