Commitment in Germany

Star-studded highlights for the Bayer world

Year after year the Bayer Cultural affairs Department provides cultural highlights at the company’s locations. The programme of plays, concerts, dance and art exhibitions appeals to everyone who is interested in culture – and not just in the region.

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Konrad Beikircher

World-famous stars who have performed in Leverkusen include Wilhelm Kempff, Alfred Brendel, Klaus Maria Brandauer and Gilbert Bécaud. Their appearances were made possible by the Bayer Cultural Affairs Department, whoose top-class programmes have for a century provided cultural highlights that can now also be enjoyed at Bayer's other sites in Dormagen, Krefeld-Uerdingen and Wuppertal.

Own Venue
First-rate plays, concerts, dance performances and art exhibitions appeal to both Bayer employees and other people who are interested in the arts. The main venue, rich in tradition, is the Erholungshaus in Leverkusen, which opened in 1908 and to this day is financed by th company. The Erholungshaus is used for rehearsals and performances by the works ensembles. Bayer currently supports 17 such ensembles at its various sites. The best known is the Bayer Philharmonic Orchestra, which regularly performs high-quality programmes at other locations, including guest appearances in other countries.

International Exchange

The Cultural Affairs Department cooperates with Bayer locations around the world. Programmes featuring artists from a specific cultural area Country programs featuring artists from a specific cultural area – such as the French Season in 1989/90 or the Russian Season in 1998/99 - have been among the most popular.

Contribution to Corporate Culture

Another Bayer institution with as long-standing a tradition as the Cultural Affairs Department is Corporate History & Archives. The archives are among the oldest and largest of their kind in Germany. Bayer historians collect important documents, photos and film material and also inform employees, journalists and academics on subjects relating to the company’s history. Bayer’s “memory” thereby makes an important contribution to corporate culture. On account of the significant stockpile of records that they hold, the Bayer Archives have been classified by the German Federal Interior Ministry as a “valuable national cultural resource.”