Dr. Hans and Hildegard Koester established the eponymous foundation in 2008. Its objective is to promote the oeuvre of the artist Alexander Koester, who was Hans Koester’s uncle, and ensure this artistic legacy endures. To this end, the couple transferred all their assets, in particular a large number of paintings, to the foundation
Alexander Koester came to Klausen on a study trip in 1891, met and married Isabella Kantioler, the daughter of the innkeeper at the Gasthof zum Lamm, and settled in Klausen in 1896. He lived and worked there until 1915, also discovering his preferred motif, ducks. In 2010 the Dr. Hans und Hildegard Koester-Stiftung therefore offered Klausen around 130 works by Koester as a permanent loan. Together, the Foundation and the town aim to create a professional framework to present the collection and conduct research on it, and to that end established the Tinne Foundation for Art, Culture and Education, South Tyrol in 2018.
In addition, the Dr. Hans und Hildegard Koester-Stiftung also supports medical research, with a particular focus on research into tumours and welfare organisations, in particular hospices.
