Austausch e.V. is a non-profit organization that is committed to strengthening civil society in Europe. Through exchange programs, projects, and initiatives, it promotes democracy, human rights, and environmental protection. Dedicated professionals are warmly welcome!
Austausch e.V., known until 2022 as Deutsch-Russischer Austausch e.V., is a non-governmental non-profit organization founded in 1992 in Berlin. The association focuses on strengthening civil society in Western and Eastern European countries.
Our goal is to promote democracy, European cooperation, and civic engagement. We advocate for the values of democracy, human rights, environmental protection, education, and ethnic reconciliation. Through our work, we support the development of an active and engaged civil society in Central and Eastern Europe.
In May 2021, the association was classified by the Russian authorities as an "undesirable NGO," which severely restricts our legal activities in Russia. Despite this challenge, we continue our work in other Eastern European countries, such as Ukraine and Belarus, and expand our international partnerships[1].
Austausch e.V. is a member of various networks and associations, including the EU-Russia Civil Society Forum, the Paritätischer Wohlfahrtsverband Berlin, and the Federal Working Group of Volunteer Agencies. For our civic engagement in Eastern Europe, we were awarded the Theodor Heuss Medal in 1998[1].
Through our diverse activities and partnerships, we contribute to fostering a closer and more cooperative relationship between Eastern and Western Europe and strengthening civil society in the region.
