Statutes

Statutes of the Georg Forster Society e.V.

drawn up on 16.2.1989, with the amendments of 28.4.1990, 11.6.2011 and 21.6.2014

1 Name and registered office

The association bears the name "Georg Forster Gesellschaft e.V." It is exclusively and directly charitable within the meaning of the section "Tax-privileged purposes" of the German Tax Code and does not primarily pursue its own economic purposes. It is selflessly active. It is entered in the register of associations. Its registered office is in Kassel.

2 Objectives

2.1 The Society has set itself the task of bringing the memory of Georg Forster, which was concealed and suppressed in Germany throughout the 19th century and early 20th century, to the honor it deserves.

This means both cultivating the philosophical, political and scientific ideas and research represented by Georg Forster and his colleagues and mediating between this tradition of unspoiled freshness and the tasks facing us today; these include, crucially, remembering the political exile of the German intelligentsia and honoring their contributions to German culture.

2.2 At the same time, the Society is interested in all the problems that also concerned Georg Forster:

- the unfulfilled claims of the Enlightenment,

- the combination of a distanced theoretical perspective in everything and unreserved political commitment,

- the breaking of the scholarly guild constraint,

- the combination of anthropological, ethnological, literary and historical-critical interests,

- criticizing the destructive exploitation of nature by returning to a productive
concept of nature in the sense of Georg Forster,

- passing on the legacy of an unabridged emancipatory spontaneity,

- the foundation of a republican public sphere capable of dialog.

2.3 These tasks of the Society shall be realized in particular through the organization of academic conferences, symposia, public lectures, exhibitions and events of other kinds as well as through the promotion and implementation of research projects of various kinds.

2.4 The Society's funds shall be used for the purposes set out in the Articles of Association. Members shall not receive any benefits from the Society's funds.

3 Membership

3.1 The following may become members of the Association: natural persons of legal age, legal entities, including scientific institutes, authorities and other associations with no legal capacity in Germany and abroad. Membership shall be granted following a written application by resolution of the Board of Directors.

3.2 Members who are not natural persons shall exercise the rights and obligations associated with membership through a representative who must be named to the Board of Directors in writing.

3.3 The company consists of active, supporting and honorary members. Active members are characterized by their willingness to realize the objectives of the Association through contributions and information of all kinds and by taking on upcoming tasks. Supporting members support the company both ideally and financially. The Board of Directors shall decide on questions of honorary membership.

3.4 Members are entitled to be appropriately informed about the processes associated with the Society's tasks, to participate in its life and to make use of its services.

3.5 Membership shall be terminated by a written declaration of resignation addressed to the Board of Directors at the end of the financial year (= calendar year), by expulsion or by death. Expulsion shall occur in particular if a member, subject to force majeure, does not respond to a second request for payment of the membership fee within three weeks. A further reason for expulsion is given if a member impairs the realization of its objectives within or outside the Association and damages its reputation. The Board of Directors shall decide on this.

3.6 Former members shall not receive a refund of the amounts paid in when they leave or when the Association is dissolved.

4 Income

4.1 The Society is entitled to fulfill its function in accordance with the above-mentioned objectives by means of admission fees, membership fees and participation fees that do not affect membership, for example for scientific colloquia or publications. objectives.

4.2 The Association is entitled to accept donations and sponsorship contributions in any amount and to issue a certificate in accordance with the provisions of the tax authorities. Membership fees may be recognized in accordance with the "Tax-privileged purposes" section of the German Tax Code, unless otherwise stipulated by the tax authorities.

4.3 All income and funds of the Association are to be used exclusively for statutory purposes, in particular to finance the Association's budget. Members shall not receive any benefits from the company's funds, nor shall any other persons benefit from disproportionately high remuneration. The amount and method of payment of the above-mentioned The General Meeting decides on the amount and method of payment of the above-mentioned fees and contributions based on a proposal from the Executive Board. The annual fee for active members is €20 for students and unemployed persons and €40 for employed persons. Supporting members pay €50, payable in the first quarter of the financial year (by March 31) to an account specified by the Executive Board. Any cancellation costs incurred are to be borne in full by the respective member.

5 Bodies

5.1 All bodies of the company work on an honorary basis in accordance with the above provisions. The Chairman and two Deputy Chairmen form the Executive Board. The former shall manage the business. They shall be elected by the General Meeting for an indefinite term. They act in a collegial manner, but can represent the company individually to the outside world. The Chairman may delegate specific tasks at short notice. Furthermore, the Executive Board may decide to pay appropriate expense allowances to the Managing Director, insofar as he performs his duties on a voluntary basis. The Executive Board can be voted out of office by a two-thirds majority of the General Assembly.

5.2 The Executive Board shall provide an annual written report on its activities and accounts (treasury), which must be made available to all members. In particular, its task is to convene and organize an ordinary general meeting at least every two years. An auditor must be elected or re-elected at this meeting.

5.3 The Board of Directors shall invite each member to the General Meeting in writing, stating a provisional agenda and giving reasonable notice of at least 14 days. Motions from members regarding the agenda must be taken into account. The General Meeting shall be chaired by the Chairman or, if he is unable to do so, by one of his deputies or by a chairman elected by all members present. The General Meeting is quorate regardless of the number of members present if it is declared so by a 3/4 majority.

5.4 The ordinary General Meeting is responsible for the following tasks: Adoption of the agenda, approval of the minutes of the last ordinary General Meeting, receipt and discussion of the Board of Directors' report on activities and accounts. Acceptance and discussion of the auditor's report, discharge of the Board of Directors, passing resolutions on amendments to the Articles of Association or dissolution of the Association, passing resolutions on the activities of the Association in terms of recommendations to the Board of Directors.

5.5 If circumstances so require, an Extraordinary General Meeting may be convened by the Board of Directors by mutual agreement or at the written request of 1/4 of the membership. It shall decide on important issues that cannot be postponed until the next ordinary General Meeting.

5.6 Only active members have the right to vote. Resolutions are generally passed by a simple majority. In the event of a tie, the Chairman has the casting vote. However, amendments or additions to the Articles of Association require a 3/4 majority of the members present at an ordinary General Meeting. A report on the proceedings, recommendations and resolutions of the General Meeting must then be drawn up on behalf of the Board of Directors, signed by the Chairman or, in his absence, by his deputy and the secretary and made available to all members.

6 Dissolution of the company

The company can only be dissolved with a 3/4 majority of an ordinary general meeting. In the event of its dissolution or if its previous purposes cease to exist, the assets of the Society remaining after liquidation shall be transferred by the Chairman, his deputy or, in their absence, by an elected member of the Society for Threatened Peoples, Göttingen, on condition that they are used exclusively and directly for charitable purposes.

Registered office, postal address, office and Georg Forster Archive:
c/o University of Kassel
FB 2 Sprach- und Literaturwissenschaften
Institut für Germanistik
Kurt-Wolters-Straße 5
34109 Kassel
Bank details: Kasseler Sparkasse, account no. 151 425, BLZ.: 520 503 53