Berthold Beitz, 1913-2013, Dr. med. h. c., Prof., merchant; Chairman of the Board of Governors, Alfried Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach Foundation, Essen, 1968; Chairman, Cultural Foundation Ruhr, Essen; Honorary Chairman, Board of Governors, Thyssen Krupp; Honorary member, International Olympic Committee. Founder of the Circle 1985.

Andreas von Below, b. 1946, Dr. phil., member and representative of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, 1977-2011, in particular in the Baltic states and in Bulgaria. Member 2016.

Klaus von Bismarck, 1912-1997; D. theol., farmer; former President, Goethe Institute, Munich, 1977-1989; former Director General, West German Radio and Television (WDR), Cologne, 1957-64. Co-founder 1985.

Christian Bode, b. 1942; Dr. jur., Dr. h. c. mult., Prof., administrator; former Secretary General, German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), Bonn, 1990-2010; former Secretary General, West German Rectors Conference (WRK), Bonn, 1982-1990. Member 1996. Retired 2013.

Hugo Borger, 1925-2004, Dr. phil., Prof., art historian; former Director General , Museums of the City of Cologne; former Director, Roman Germanic Museum, Cologne. Co-founder 1985. Retired 1987.

PETER FISCHER-APPELT, b. 1932; Dr. theol., LHD, LittD, LLD, Dr. h. c. mult., academic educator and administrator; Prof., former President , University of Hamburg, 1970-91; co-founder (LSF) 1982, member and Chairman of the Auditing Council 1982-92, President 1992-1998, Honorary President 2002, St. Cyril and St. Methodius International Foundation, Sofia; teaches Systematic Theology at Hamburg University, 1972-. Co-founder 1985; Chairman 1986-.

Michael Geier, b. 1944; German diplomat; ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Burkina Faso, 1985–1988; to South Korea, 2003-2006; to Bulgaria, 2006-2009. Member 2013.

Helmut Greve, 1922-2016; Dr. jur., merchant; Chairman of the Board of Directors, Dr. Helmut Greve Bau und Boden AG, Hamburg, 1978; Honorary Consul General of the Republic of Hungary, 1992; Chairman of the Board of Governors, Dr. Helmut and Hannelore Greve Foundation for Sciences and Culture, 1988; Member 1998-2016.

Harald Heimsoeth, 1916-2007; Dr. jur., diplomat; former Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Bulgaria; diplomatic service Nairobi 1973-79, Brussels 1968-70, Djakarta 1965-68, UN New York 1960-65, New Delhi 1953-56. Co-founder 1985.

GERD-WINAND IMEYER, b. 1934; Prof. Dr. rer. pol., merchant; Director General and Chairman of the Board of Directors, Hanse Merkur Insurance Group, Hamburg; Honorary Consul General of the Republic of Bulgaria for Northern Germany, Hamburg, 1993-. Member 1993.

Frerich J. Keil, b. 1947; Dr. rer. nat., Dr. h. c., Prof. of Chemical Reaction Engineering, Hamburg University of Technology; editor of international scientific journals; coordinator of the German language programs in HTMU, Sofia, since 1991. Member 2014.

DOMINIK von KOENIG, b. 1944; Dr. phil., administrator; Secretary General, Foun­dation Lower Saxony, Hannover 1992-2008; chief expert, Alfried Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach Foundation, Essen, 1980-1992. Member 1993, Executive Secretary 1985-1993. Retired 2014.

Wilhelm Krull, b. 1952; Dr. phil., Prof., administra­tor; Secretary General, Volkswagen Founda­tion, Hannover, 1996- ; Executive Director, Max Planck Society (MPG), Munich, 1993-95. Mem­ber 1996.

Walter Lewalter, b. 1938; German diplomat; former ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Bulgaria, 1987–1991; ambassador of Germany to Indonesia, 1991-1994; head of the Permanent representation of the UN in Geneva, 1998-2003. Member 2013.

Peter Ludwig, 1925-1996; Dr. phil., Dr. h.c. mult., Prof., art historian, art collector, entre­preneur; former Chairman of the Board, Ludwig Schokolade GmbH, Aachen; co-owner Monheim AG, Aachen, 1952-86; founder, Ludwig Foundation for Art and International Under­standing, Aachen, 1983; sponsor of Ludwig Museums and Institutes in Aachen, Budapest, Cologne, Koblenz, Oberhausen, Saarlouis, St. Petersburg, Vienna; collections of ancient and modern art in museums of Aachen, Aalborg, Basel, Berlin, Bochum, Cologne, Dusseldorf, Hannover, Havana, Kassel, Koblenz, Leipzig, Mainz, Munich, Paris, Saarbrucken, Vienna. Co-founder 1985.

Marian Paschke, b. 1954; Dr. h. c., Prof. Dr. jur., teaches law in the University of Hamburg; member of the Academy of sciences in Hamburg, work group “Energy and Resources”; member of the project “Energy systems of the future – ESYS” of the German Academy of Sciences; Chairman, Arbitration Court, German-Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce, Sofia. Member 2016.

Hartmut Rahn, b. 1930; Dr. phil., administrator; former Secretary General, Ger­man National Scholarship Foundation (Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes), Bonn, 1970-95; Chairman German Commission for the United World Colleges. Member 1989-2000. Retired 2000.

Norbert Randow, 1929-2013; Dr. phil. h.c.; slavist; author, editor, translator; prominent mediator of Bulgarian and Belorussian literature and poetry to German culture since 1961; Leipzig Book Award for European Understanding, 2001. Member 2007-2013.

Ullrich-Günther Schubert, b. 1947; former Director BNP-Paribas for Bulgaria, 2000-2012; worked for the bank group since 1981 in executive roles in Germany, France, USA, Luxembourg and Korea; chief counsellor of Paribas Corporate and Transaction Banking Europe – Germany, Beufort, 2012. Member 2013.

Peter Tils, b. 1952; banker; Managing Direc­tor, Global Head of Relationship Management, Fin. Inst., Deutsche Bank AG, Frankfurt, 1993-; CEO for Central and Eastern Europe; held positions in Goettingen, Mexico City, Bo­gota, Bonn. Member 1996.

MARIA LUISA WARBURG, President, Liberal Forum, Hamburg. Member 1992.

Heinz-Berndt Windscheidt, b. 1943; adminis­trator; Director, Regional Division for East Eu­rope, Carl Duisberg Society (CDG), Cologne, 1992-; held other positions at CdG 1978-92. Member 1996-2016. Retired.

Otto Wolff von Amerongen, 1918-2007; Dr. h. c. mult., Prof., merchant, Chairman of the Board of Governors, Otto Wolff von Amerongen Foundation, Cologne, 1992; Chairman of the Board of Directors, Otto Wolff GmbH, Cologne; honorary President 1988, President 1969-88, Association of German Chambers of Industy and Commerce (Deutscher Industrie- und Handelstag), Bonn; Chairman, East Europe Com­mittee, Cologne, 1958. Co-founder 1985.