280000 euros for Berlin

280,000 euros for Berlin

Premiere of the "We for Berlin" auction gala

The Verein Berliner Kaufleute und Industrieller (VBKI) and Kunsthaus Lempertz have organized their first "We for Berlin" auction gala. 250 entrepreneurs from the capital city outbid on 20 extraordinary lots: Auctions included a concert and dinner with Sir Simon Rattle, an extra role in the opera La Bohème or a house concert of the Philharmonie. The proceeds of 280,000 euros will be used to support the Citizens' Education Network and the Orchestra Academy of the Berliner Philharmoniker.

VBKI President Markus Voigt: "'Wir unternehmen Berlin' - for almost 140 years and now also with projects such as this new auction gala. With this and all of the VBKI's other charitable projects, we are pursuing one goal above all: to make our city even more lovable and liveable. And that can only be done together. That is why I would like to thank the many members and partners of the VBKI and especially Kilian von Seldeneck and the staff of Kunsthaus Lempertz and, of course, the generous bidders who made this remarkable result possible."

"'Wir unternehmen Berlin' - for almost 140 years and now also with projects such as this new auction gala. With this and all of the VBKI's other charitable projects, we are pursuing one goal above all: to make our city even more lovable and liveable."

VBKI President Markus Voigt

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Michael Müller, Governing Mayor of Berlin and patron of the auction gala: "A metropolis like Berlin is dependent on solidarity and togetherness. It needs people, companies and organizations that are committed to a more liveable city in the spirit of humanity, social responsibility and public spirit. This is what Verein Berliner Kaufleute und Industrieller stands for. A big thank you to the organizers from VBKI, all sponsors and supporters for this wonderful project."

Peter Riegelbauer, Managing Director of the Orchestra Academy of the Berliner Philharmoniker: "We are all still completely fulfilled by the wonderful evening. Our expectations were exceeded in every respect and we are thrilled with the result of the auction. We were particularly pleased that the event was also held for the benefit of the VBKI citizens' network and that the proceeds will therefore be put to a wide range of uses. We would also like to thank the VBKI for the wonderful organization of the evening. We would like to thank everyone involved for their commitment!"

The Citizens' Network for Education was launched in 2005. Since then, Berlin children and young people have received more than two million additional hours of support - thanks to the more than 2100 volunteer learning and reading mentors. The focus is on pupils in socially disadvantaged situations. The reading mentor project is particularly active in areas where the proportion of immigrants or the number of parents who are exempt from paying for learning materials is particularly high.

The Orchestra Academy of the Berliner Philharmoniker was founded in 1972 by Herbert von Karajan. Its graduates play all over the world: in the Concertgebouw Orchestra in Amsterdam, the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, the London Symphony Orchestra, the Staatskapelle Berlin, the Vienna Philharmonic, the Munich Philharmonic and, of course, the Berlin Philharmonic. Under the motto "Learning from the professionals", private sponsors enable highly talented young musicians to train. A commitment that bears rich fruit: almost a third of the members of the Berliner Philharmoniker today are former scholarship holders of the Academy.

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