The story
The Foundation was initially established in Berlin in 1860 to support German scientists conducting research abroad. It was named after the polymath Alexander von Humboldt. In 1923, during the hyperinflation, the Foundation ceased operations due to capital constraints. It was re-established in 1925 with a new goal: to attract talented, pro-German students from other countries to study and research in Germany. Following the fall of Germany in 1945, the Foundation closed for a second time. It was re-established in Bonn-Bad Godesberg on December 10, 1953, under the leadership of physicist Werner Heisenberg, with a new mission: "to grant fellowships to academics of foreign nationality, without regard to gender, race, religion, or ideology, to enable them to continue their academic training by a study-visit to Germany". In 2016, the Foundation helped establish the German Section of the Scholars at Risk (SAR) network, a group of research institutions, universities, and science organizations committed to supporting at-risk academics and promoting academic freedom.
From Wikipedia’s article on Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.5