Stiftung Lebensraum Elbe

The Stiftung Lebensraum Elbe is a legally capable foundation under public law, established in 2010 by the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg. It is financed by funds from the City of Hamburg and the Hamburg Port Authority (endowment capital of approximately €21 million plus around €3 million annually). The operational foundation is committed to improving the ecological condition of the tidal Elbe and its tributaries. With an eleven-member foundation board equally composed of representatives from the city, the port, and environmental protection, as well as an executive board, it independently implements nature conservation measures such as renaturation projects, the creation of groyne and creek structures, the establishment of wetland habitats, and floating vegetation islands.

We contribute to improving the ecological condition of the tidal Elbe, preserving natural biodiversity, and strengthening the unique habitats of the river landscape. To this end, we shape banks and forelands in a more natural way, enhance the Elbe and its tributaries ecologically, and promote the development of a more natural tidal regime.

The foundation's projects target stakeholders along the tidal Elbe, including state authorities, municipalities, port industries, nature conservation organizations, and local interest groups. Together, measures are designed and implemented to strengthen the ecological structure and habitat connectivity of the river landscape. Through local cooperations, nationwide funding programs, and participation formats, expertise and experiential knowledge are exchanged between administration, industry, and nature conservation transfer.