Funding activities on the part of the foundation and business activities on the part of the healthcare group, including all subsidiaries, are independent of one another. Their association is limited to the fact that EKFS receives nearly all its income from dividends issued by the Fresenius Group active in the field of healthcare. EKFS is the largest shareholder and holds 26.6 percent of the share capital in Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA, the operating parent company. The foundation utilizes this to strengthen its involvement aligned on a long-term scale as anchor shareholder of Fresenius and sets forth the testamentary mandate of Else Kröner, the foundation’s founder, to preserve the corporate entity as an independent whole. To guarantee the non-profit status of the foundation it is obligatory not to approve any applications for funding through which the Fresenius corporate group could prove to benefit. The foundation operates independently of the Fresenius Group and any decisions it makes.

Fresenius. From Apothecary to Healthcare Group
Fresenius – a fascinating piece of German economic history! Founded in Frankfurt am Main in 1912, Fresenius has evolved over the decades into a globally-active healthcare group. Today, more than 290,000 people in more than 100 countries work for Fresenius, serving the cause of health.

The years of economic recovery brought international expansion, and the company entered the field of dialysis technology. New developments in pharmacology and medical technology continued to push Fresenius forward. Expansion through acquisitions facilitated the planning, construction and opening of hospitals. Fresenius’ success would not have been possible without the energy and legacy of Else Kröner, who took over the management of the company after the Second World War, and provided it with a dependable partner in the Else Kröner-Fresenius-Stiftung.
More information: https://www.fresenius.com/history