Sustained commitment

A Century of Culture at Bayer

Sponsorship of the arts has been of central significance for Bayer for more than a century. It reflects fundamental Bayer Group values and makes an important contribution towards building the company’s image in Germany and abroad.

Werner Wenning, Chairman of the Board of Management, Bayer AG

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Werner Wenning,
Chairman of the Board of Management, Bayer AG

On behalf of the Bayer AG Board of Management I congratulate the Bayer cultural department most warmly on its centenary. Few companies can look back on such a long cultural tradition. At around the beginning of the twentieth century, Bayer’s founding fathers laid a valuable foundation by setting up social, sports and cultural facilities to improve their workers’ quality of life. The economic and cultural development of the Bayer company went on to make a substantial contribution towards the founding of the city of Leverkusen.

Valuable Contribution

Five managers have headed our cultural department during the course of 100 years, and each shaped the department’s cultural work in accordance with his respective era and social understanding. The profile that evolved through this continuity is part of the cultural landscape of North Rhine-Westphalia and is the envy of many companies. In keeping with our understanding as a transnational company, the local and regional orientation of our cultural work was expanded years ago to include international cooperation with many Bayer locations in other parts of the world. This not only enriches cultural life domestically, but also Bayer’s social presence abroad. Cultural work thus makes a valuable contribution towards building the company’s image.