Georg W. Claussen was one of Germany's most extraordinary entrepreneurial personalities. Born into a Hanseatic entrepreneurial family in 1912, his private and professional life was shaped by the social, political, and economic upheavals of the 20^th century. For three decades, as Chairman of the Executive Board and then of the Supervisory Board, he shaped the success and corporate culture of Beiersdorf AG. Employees praised his charismatic aura, his unassuming manner, the friendly, open way in which he conducted his conversations, and his entrepreneurial talent.

Dialogue at eye level and human interaction were also close to his heart when he developed his idea for the foundation: out of an attitude of responsibility and generosity, he made a contribution to enabling a good future for young scientists in Germany.  In 1981, on the occasion of the 100^th anniversary of the founding of Beiersdorf AG, he established the Claussen Foundation under the umbrella of the Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft, which began its work in 1982. Georg W. Claussen had been associated with the Stifterverband for many years. He chaired the Hamburg/Schleswig-Holstein State Board of Trustees, which was founded in 1976, from its inception until 1987. During this time, Georg W. Claussen was also a member of the national board. He worked with great commitment to raise funds for science. He remained associated with the Stifterverband as a member of the Board of Trustees until June 2004. In 2005, the Stifterverband awarded Georg W. Claussen the Richard Merton pin of honor for his outstanding commitment.

Georg W. Claussen received the Grand Cross of Merit of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany and the Constitutional Gold Medal of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg. In 1987 he was awarded the "Denkmünze in Gold zur Feier der Handelsfreiheit 1665 und 1867" by the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce. In 2012, the Heine-Haus Hamburg awarded Georg W. Claussen the Salomon Heine Plaque for his "exemplary actions for the benefit of Hamburg and its citizens."

Georg W. Claussen accompanied the fortunes of the Claussen-Simon Foundation well into old age. He passed away at the age of 100 in March 2013 in his hometown of Hamburg.
 

Like her cousin Georg W. Claussen, Ebba Simon was convinced that young people should be given space to develop their talents and passions. A great-niece of Dr. Oscar Troplowitz, the founder of Beiersdorf AG, she was born in Hamburg in 1906. She was married to Dr. Alfred Simon, the company's long-serving technical and development director and chief chemist.

It was Ebba Simon's wish to use a large part of her fortune to promote education and thus open up opportunities for young people to lead a life of freedom and personal responsibility. She saw the principle of personalized support for individuals - inspired by the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute, to which her husband had been closely associated throughout his life and whose successor organization became the Max Planck Society after the Second World War - as being best realized in Georg W. Claussen's foundation. In this spirit, her testamentary bequest was an expression of her desire to accompany and strengthen committed, responsible and reflective individuals on their scholastic and academic path.

Ebba Simon passed away in Hamburg in 1999. Thanks to her generous bequest, the foundation’s total assets—and with them, its impact—increased significantly, leading to the launch of new funding programs in the fields of science and education. Since gaining operational independence in 2012, the foundation’s potential has continued to grow, finding vibrant expression in numerous scholarship programs and project funding across science, education, and culture.