Google the word philanthropy and the word 'stiftung' – or 'foundation' in German – comes up many times over. Many eminent philanthropy experts are based there, and many global philanthropic projects lead back to German foundations; so it seems clear Germany is probably Europe's leader in family philanthropy. Even though the country is faced with its highest unemployment rates since World War II, Germany continues to make a sizeable contribution to European and global philanthropy, fuelled by families selling their companies and realising their wealth.
