History
The Institute was established in 1948, with the aim of promoting Franco-German cooperation in all areas of public life and academia. It is based in Ludwigsburg, a Paris office being opened in 2004. In 1990 the Frankreich-Bibliothek, a library and documentation centre, was opened in Ludwigsburg.
Founder members of the dfi included prominent figures such as Joseph Rovan and Alfred Grosser, on the French side, and the Germans Theodor Heuss and Carlo Schmid. The first director was Fritz Schenk (1948-1972), followed by Robert Picht (1972-2002) and Frank Baasner (2002- ). The titular head of the Institute is the President, currently the former prime minister of Baden Württemberg, Erwin Teufel.
The Institute currently has approximately 20 members of staff, including 5 researchers.
Read more about this topic: Franco-German Institute
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