Niedersächsische Sparkassenstiftung

The Niedersächsische Sparkassenstiftung (NSKS) is a private cultural foundation based in Hannover, Germany, established in 1985 by the savings banks of Lower Saxony and the Norddeutsche Landesbank (NORD/LB). Its stated purpose is to support fine art, music, museums and heritage conservation in Lower Saxony and thereby contribute to the cultural diversity of the federal state. The foundation is closely tied to the Sparkassenverband Niedersachsen (Savings Banks Association of Lower Saxony), which has been its supporting body from the outset, and it carries out all projects jointly with the Lower Saxony savings banks. With an endowment capital of roughly 18.5 million euros, a balance sheet total of around 67 million euros and about 3.5 million euros in grants awarded annually, it ranks among the largest cultural foundations in northern Germany. It cooperates with the VGH-Stiftung and shares a joint management with it. The foundation has built a substantial collection of contemporary art and has initiated a number of its own prizes and events, including the Niedersächsische Musiktage. Its funding activities span four main areas: fine art, music, museums and heritage conservation (Denkmalpflege). It awards the Sprengel Prize for Fine Art and the Kurt Schwitters Prize, alternating every two years, and it runs the hbs kulturfonds, which awards a museum prize. It also supports Low German language projects, including the Plattdeutscher Lesewettbewerb and prizes such as the Lüttjepütt-Preis, the Quickborn-Preis and the Hans-Henning-Holm-Preis. The foundation is governed by a management board, an executive board (Vorstand) and a foundation council (Stiftungsrat).

The Niedersächsische Sparkassenstiftung was founded in 1985 by the savings banks of Lower Saxony and the Norddeutsche Landesbank (NORD/LB) as a private foundation under civil law (private Stiftung bürgerlichen Rechts). The Sparkassenverband Niedersachsen (Savings Banks Association of Lower Saxony) has been its supporting body from the beginning. Its founding goal was to support fine art, music, museums and heritage conservation in Lower Saxony and thereby contribute to the cultural diversity of the federal state. The foundation also lists the promotion of the Low German language among its funding objectives. In 1991, the foundation took over the annual awarding of the Sprengel Prize for Fine Art, originally established in 1979 by the art patron Bernhard Sprengel and endowed with 12,500 euros. In 1995, the Kurt Schwitters Prize was added, and since then the two prizes have alternated on a biennial basis. From 1986 to 2018, the foundation awarded a biennial prize for heritage conservation (Denkmalpflege) that recognized the charitable commitment of private monument owners. Since the year 2000, when the VGH Versicherungen founded the VGH-Stiftung on the occasion of its 250th anniversary, the management of the two foundations has been jointly run. In 2008, the foundation had built its own art collection with more than 1,200 works by contemporary artists, which are shown in traveling exhibitions or as loans in Lower Saxony museums. Since 2014, the foundation has run the hbs kulturfonds as the successor to the hbs Kulturstiftung founded in 1998; it awards a museum prize endowed with 15,000 euros every two years on the recommendation of a jury. The foundation also organizes the Plattdeutscher Lesewettbewerb (Low German reading competition) every two years and awards the Lüttjepütt-Preis and the Quickborn-Preis for services to the Low German language, as well as the Hans-Henning-Holm-Preis for achievements in Low German radio drama. It has initiated a number of its own events, including the Niedersächsische Musiktage. With an endowment capital of around 18.5 million euros, a balance sheet total of around 67 million euros and about 3.5 million euros in grants awarded annually, it is one of the largest cultural foundations in northern Germany. The foundation's office is located at Schiffgraben 6–8 in Hannover, in the building of the Sparkassenverband Niedersachsen.

• 2014

  Took over the hbs kulturfonds, awarding a museum prize every two years.

• 2008

  Art collection built with more than 1,200 contemporary works.

• 2000

  VGH-Stiftung founded; joint management with NSKS begins.

• 1995

  Kurt Schwitters Prize added; alternating with Sprengel Prize every two years.

• 1991

  Took over the annual awarding of the Sprengel Prize for Fine Art.

• 1986

  First awarding of the biennial heritage conservation prize (until 2018).

• 1985

  Foundation established by Lower Saxony savings banks and NORD/LB as a private Stiftung bürgerlichen Rechts.

One of the largest cultural foundations in northern Germany, dedicated to promoting cultural participation and diversity in Lower Saxony.

• Sprengel Prize for Fine Art

  Annual prize for fine art, endowed with 12,500 euros, originally established by Bernhard Sprengel in 1979.

• Kurt Schwitters Prize

  Prize awarded since 1995, alternating biennially with the Sprengel Prize.

• hbs kulturfonds museum prize

  Museum prize endowed with 15,000 euros, awarded every two years since 2014.

• Low German language prizes

  Includes Lüttjepütt-Preis, Quickborn-Preis and Hans-Henning-Holm-Preis.

1. 1Home - NSKSnsks.de
2. 2Über uns - NSKSnsks.de
3. 3Team - NSKSnsks.de
4. 4Gremien - NSKSnsks.de
5. 5Niedersächsische Sparkassenstiftung - Wikipediade.wikipedia.org
6. 6Niedersächsische Sparkassenstiftung - Wikidatawikidata.org