Hochschule für Gestaltung (HfG) Offenbach needs a great number of friends. It is not only the brainpower committed that make for good projects but also the people who support them, back them and make an active contribution to them – their friends and sponsors.

freunde der hfg is a non-profit-making association which sponsors the activities of HfG Offenbach and sees the university, its teaching staff and its students as an important part of life in the city and the region. It is the declared aim of freunde der hfg not only to support the university’s projects and students through grants but also to boost public interest in development at the university. The association is open to everybody who is interested in art, education and culture and would like to help the university.

The annual membership fee amounts to between €75 (€25 reduced rate) and €200 (institutions). Any additional donations are welcome, are tax-deductible and can also, after consultation with us, be used for our foundation. Students and graduates of HfG can be members for one year free of charge.

Membership includes

• Personal invitations to the presentations
• Exclusive guided tours
• Studio visits
• Field trips for members
• Invitations to external exhibitions
• Special editions at discount rates
• Participation in special events
• Regular information on HfG and freunde der hfg activities 

​Honorary membership

Prof. L. Kra­mer, W. Buck­pesch, Gebr. Hart­mann, L. Braun

Supporting membership

B. Baumann
​S. von Metzler
​Dr. L. Raettig
C. Wisser

Individual membership

K. Amend, H.-J. André, P. Antwerpen, Dr. J.Arnold, B. Becker, J. Beddiar, H. Benesch, J. Berghanner, M. Beseler, Dr. W. Blum, J. Böger, G. Braun, Dr. V. Dorsch, H. Drewing, E. Dude, H. Eifert, H. Erb, OB P. Feldmann, P. Femfert, J. Flaskämper, Dr. I. Florschütz, P. Freier, S. F. Fröhlich, Dr. P. Fuhr, G. Gallus, U. Grünewald, B. Haasner, N. Hassenpflug, M. Heim, J. Held, Prof. K. Hesse, Dr. H.-G. Hildebrandt, B. Hoffmann, Prof. Dr. R. Hoffmann, Prof. Dr. H. Hoffmann, R. u. C. Graf, S. Isser, Prof. A. Jacoby, Dr. W. Kappus, Prof. P. Kellner, H. Kern, H.-P. Kloppenburg, D. Kohsow, J. Kracke, M. Kunze, Dr. L. Lacheta, U. Lange, Prof. W. Luy, G. Lux, P. Manahl, H.  Manteuffel, D. Matha, O. Meister, Th. Meyer, E. Moeck, H. Münster-Voswinkel, F. Mußmann, B. Novotny-Lukas, Dr. R. Nenno, Dr. H. Niedenthal, Dr. G. Nippel, B. Persichilli, U. Philipp-Manteuffel, A. Pohlenz, H. Rehm, S. Rieschel, Dr. D.C. Schmid, Dr. A. Schmitt-Gläser, J. Schmitz, G. Schneider, OB H. Schneider, W. Schwind, H. Senft, M. Seumel, B. Simon, B. Skupsch, Prof. K. Staudt, Gr. Steiner, S. Stenger, U. Stenger, Dr. A. Steuer, O. Stirböck, Dr. K. u. U. Teichmann, K. Werner-Hentrich, B. Wösthoff, Dr. R. Ph. Ziegler

Corporate membership

• Berthold Druck GmbH
• Buchverlag "Michael Schwinn"
• Galerie Anita Beckers
• Galerie Barbara von Stechow
• Gem-Praxis Dres. Geis u.Partner
• Gem-Praxis Dres. Bamesreiter, Overmann, Rinke
• Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. KGaA
• Hausverwaltung Loulakis
• Lederwaren-Picard
• Sparkasse Offenbach

Nobody can remember the exact date. Somewhere around the beginning of 1971 Walter Buckpesch, Director of the City of Offenbach’s Schools Department together with Jakob Börner, Director of its Education Department, turned up at Schlossstrasse with screwdrivers in their pockets. They used these to take down a sign saying »Werkkunstschule Offenbach« (Offenbach School of Applied Arts) from the wall. They replaced this with Hochschule für Gestaltung (University of Art and Design).

Thus this municipal education establishment founded in 1832 had become a Hessen State University. Admittedly, the teaching staff had become employees of the state several years earlier but now the state was taking charge of the entire school and its building. This was the second set oof premises that local citizens had had built for the school.

Without further ado the Board of Trustees was dissolved at the school of applied arts where hitherto municipal politicians and experienced citizens​ had monitored the school’s development. Gerd Salzer, a factory owner and member of the City Council was one of its members. He was worried by the fact that it now seemed possible that after more than 100 years of fruitful collaboration between the school and the city and the region, the two sides might become estranged. Salzer gathered like-minded individuals around him and they formed an »Association of the Friends and Sponsors of HfG«. At the time, the name was still pretty unwieldy. Prof. Lore Kramer was a member of the teaching staff as of 1956. She was vice-rector at the time when the association was established and soon decided to become a member of the body. »Even then the association boasted a large number of members who lived in Frankfurt, like I did,« she reports. Amongst other things, she remembers the tough and complicated negotiations conducted with the tax office in an effort to be recognised as a charity with the relevant tax concessions. 

The Friends saw and still see themselves as intermediaries liaising between the university and its environment. They have arranged funding that has made it possible for the institution to perform services otherwise not possible given budget constraints. The Association has organized competitions, helped both staff and students out with individual projects, made study trips possible. At City Hall the association has persuaded the city to match the design for the campus with a redesign of the adjacent Schlossstrasse and Mainstrasse. 

The original generation has now retired. But it has been followed by successors who have taken on the founders’ ideas. This new generation sees itself as a supporting network. And they consider hfg to be a house with open doors and windows through which the outside world and the world inside can interact with each other to their mutual benefit.
Lothar Braun 

Die freunde der hfg fördern Arbeiten von Studierenden, sofern sie

• die Ausbildungsziele der HfG spiegeln und von öffentlichem Interesse sind,
• das positive Image der HfG bestätigen,
• experimentelles Neuland betreten,
• als Innovation den Durchschnitt überragen,
• interdisziplinäre Vernetzungen innerhalb oder außerhalb der Hochschule aufweisen,
• als herausragendes Einzelprojekt erkannt werden.

freunde der hfg’s »Rundgang« prizes

Since 2012, to mark the occasion of the annual show, freunde der hfg have been awarding various prizes recognizing the achievements of HfG students.

• freunde der hfg’s tour prizes/product design: Marina Fischer for her design for “In2”​
• freunde der hfg’s tour prizes/media: Maciej Medrala for “AAAAAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGBBBBBBBB”

2014 festival of young talents

At the port of Offenbach

rfx project

a collaboration between HfG graduates Rachel von Morgenstern & Xenia Lesniewski and a pair of artists known as felgndish (Nils Wildgans & Marcus Morgenstern), 2014

Within an Affine Space

Promoting an exhibition in the HfG showrooms of the Customs Office Offenbach »Concept – Sculpture – Installation« as a pilot issue of the series »Within on Affine Space«, 2015