The foundation is the owner of Villa Seligmann and is dedicated to preserving the building and ensuring its long-term cultural purpose.
The Siegmund Seligmann Foundation was established in 2006 on the initiative of Prof. Andor Izsák and with the support of the then Minister President of Lower Saxony and later Federal President Christian Wulff as a foundation with legal capacity under civil law. Its purpose is to promote art and culture, in particular Jewish culture. The foundation is advised by a board of trustees made up of elected and elected members.
Since acquiring the building in December 2006, the foundation has ensured that it is preserved and used in accordance with its listed status. In doing so, it creates the structural basis for the cultural work that takes place there and makes a significant contribution to making Jewish life visible in Hanover and beyond.
VORSTAND
Robert Cholewa, Vorsitzender
Vorsitzender der Geschäftsleitung Mittelstand der Commerzbank AG a. D.
Dr. Johannes Janssen, stellv. Vorsitzender
Direktor der Niedersächsischen Sparkassenstiftung und der VGH-Stiftung
Michael Wieck, Schatzmeister
Rechtsanwalt und Notar, Kanzlei Wieck & Hölscher
KURATORIUM
Dr. Sabine Johannsen, Vorsitzende
Niedersächsische Staatssekretärin für Wissenschaft und Kultur a. D.
Dr. Franz Rainer Enste, stellv. Vorsitzender
Beauftragter der Niedersächsischen Landesregierung gegen Antisemitismus und für den Schutz jüdischen Lebens a.D.
Prof. Dr. Joachim Schachtner
Staatssekretär im Niedersächsischen Ministerium für Wissenschaft und Kultur
Dirk Roßmann
Unternehmensgründer der Dirk Rossmann GmbH
Martin Kind
Geschäftsführer der K2D GmbH & Co. KG
Hans-Jürgen Duensing
Mitglied des Vorstandes Continental AG a. D.
Volker Alt
Vorsitzender des Vorstandes der Sparkasse Hannover
Herbert Flecken
Vorsitzender des Aufsichtsrates der Verlagsgesellschaft Madsack GmbH & Co. KG
Dr. Felix Klein
Beauftragter der Bundesregierung für jüdisches Leben in Deutschland und den Kampf gegen Antisemitismus a.D.
Prof. Dr. Jascha Nemtsov
Hochschule für Musik Franz Liszt Weimar
Heinz-Gerhard Wente
Vorsitzender des Aufsichtsrates der Salzgitter AG a.D.
Ronald Clark
Direktor der Herrenhäuser Garten a. D.
Andrea Rey-Suter
Familie Seligmann
Dr. Vasco Boenisch
Intendant des Schauspiels Hannover
Dr. Thomas Buck
Kinderarzt und stellv. Präsident der Ärztekammer Niedersachsen
Adrian M. Grandt
Direktor Victor’s Residenz Margarethenhof
Niklas Kleinwächter
Vorsitzender der Landespressekonferenz Niedersachsen
Prof. Andor Izsák, Ehrenpräsident
Direktor des Europäischen Zentrums für jüdische Musik a.D.
Claudio Esteban Seleguan, Ehrenmitglied des Kuratoriums
Managing Director Pelikan Group GmbH a.D.
Familie Seligmann
The Siegmund Seligmann Society e.V.
The company “plays” the Villa Seligmann and is responsible for the cultural content.
The focus is on promoting Jewish music and culture in all their diversity. The Siegmund Seligmann Society develops a program that addresses both Jewish cultural heritage and current social issues. The Society’s administrative office receives significant funding from the State of Lower Saxony, and the Hanover Region and the State Capital of Hanover also provide institutional support to the nonprofit organization.
The members and supporters make the work of the Siegmund Seligmann Society possible through their annual dues, but also—and significantly—through their commitment to shared values.
VORSTAND
Anne Remmers – Vorsitzende des Vorstandes
Referentin in der Niedersächsischen Staatskanzlei
Michael Wieck – stellv. Vorstand und Schatzmeister
Rechtsanwalt und Notar, Kanzlei Wieck & Hölscher
Robert Cholewa – stellv. Vorstand
Vorsitzender der Geschäftsleitung Mittelstand der Commerzbank AG a. D.
Daniela Finkelstein – stellv. Vorstand
Leiterin Standort Göttingen Netzwerk für traumatisierte Flüchtlinge in Niedersachsen e. V.
Dr. Reinhard Geck – stellv. Vorstand
Rechtsanwalt und Steuerberater i. R.
Management & Artistic Direction
Eliah Sakakushev-von Bismarck has been Director of Villa Seligmann since 2018. His responsibilities include artistic and strategic planning, business management and fundraising, the conception and moderation of events as well as the public impact and networking of Villa Seligmann.
As a cultural manager and moderator, he regularly accepts invitations to panel discussions and lectures on the topics of Jewish music and Jewish cultural heritage.
He has been the director and initiator of various chamber music festivals in Germany, Spain, Bulgaria and New Zealand. He turned to music as a child and attended a special school for concert musicians. At 16, he became a student at the Vienna University of Music. He received his orchestral diploma and concert diploma from the University of Music and Performing Arts Mannheim. Concert engagements took him to international stages worldwide until 2018.
International Artistic Advisory Board
The International Artistic Advisory Board, established in 2023, advises and connects the Siegmund Seligmann Society beyond Germany’s borders. Seven internationally renowned representatives from the fields of Jewish music and musicology serve as ambassadors, providing guidance and contributing their expertise. Each individual, with their unique background, represents many facets of the community and contributes valuable perspectives to the success of Villa Seligmann as an institution.
MEMBERS
Prof. Dr. Edwin Seroussi (Israel, USA)
Hebrew University Jerusalem
University of Pennsylvania
Prof. Dr. Jascha Nemtsov (Germany)
Franz Liszt University of Music Weimar
University of Potsdam, University of Lüneburg
Concert pianist
Prof. Dr. Sarah Ross (Germany)
European Center for Jewish Music, Hanover University of Music, Dance and Media
Prof. Dr. Mark Kligman (USA)
University of California in Los Angeles – The Lowell Milken Center for Music of American Jewish Experience
Max Stern (Israel)
Composer, music critic, conductor
Yair Harel (Israel)
The Piyyut Database
The Jerusalem Massortiyut Conference
Concert musician, singer
Matt Austerklein (USA)
Cantor, musicologist