Vision
We believe in a society that shapes digital transformation with the help of games and acknowledges games as an enrichment to its culture.
Mission
We build bridges between the world of games and political and social institutions in Germany. As an ambassador for games, we illustrate what can be achieved by applying the ideas, mechanics, and technologies behind games for the common good.
Strategic goals
We set topics, highlight opportunities, and promote ideas to demonstrate the potential of games in the fields of culture, education, and research. We do this by developing new and innovative formats, events, and research approaches.
Further information
Our image brochure provides a more detailed view of our topical focus and our work, as well as of our understanding of the societal importance of games.
The advisory board
Olaf Zimmermann
Chairman of the Advisory Board, Managing Director 'Deutscher Kulturrat'
Prof. Dr. Eik-Henning Tappe
Vice-Chairman of the Advisory Board, Board of Directors of the 'Gesellschaft für Medienpädagogik'
Our advisory board helps to shape our work as a foundation. It consists of representatives from the areas of education, society, the protection of minors, culture, media, politics, pedagogy, administration, and scientific research. The advisory board works to ensure our independence and transparency and acts as a multiplier for our projects and formats. The institutions represented are responsible for a variety of projects in the areas of games culture, development, and research, as well as the protection of minors and media education.
Institutions represented on the advisory board (advisory board members)
Association for Media Education and Communication Culture (GMK)
'Deutscher Kulturrat' (German Cultural Council)
Directors’ Conference of the State Media Authorities
Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media
Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth
Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action
Federal Agency for Civic Education
game – the German Games Industry Association
German Entertainment Software Self-Regulation Body (USK)
Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Chair of Educational Science and Media Education
‘Oberste Landesjugendbehörden’ (Supreme State Youth Authorities, lead agency NRW)
University of Duisburg-Essen, Chair of Media Informatics and Entertainment Computing
Until the new Managing Director of the Foundation for Digital Games Culture takes up their work at the beginning of August, game Managing Director Felix Falk will formally take over the interim management from June 1, 2024 and manage the foundation together with the two division heads Niels Boehnke and Benjamin Rostalski.
Team
Felix Falk
Interim Managing Director
030/236258940 Felix Falk is Interim Managing Director of the Foundation for Digital Games Culture until the foundation's new management takes up its work in August 2024. Felix has been Managing Director of game – The German Games Industry Association since 1 February 2018. In January 2017, he was appointed Managing Director of BIU, the German Games Industry Association.
Ahmad Ali
Tech Ninja
030/236258940 Ahmad Ali has been studying Computer Engineering at HTW Berlin since 2023 and has been working as a project assistant at the Foundation for Digital Games Culture since March 2024. He loves working with technology - especially when he can push it to its limits. His favorite games are "Dragon Ball FighterZ" and "Mario Bros. Wonder".
Niels Boehnke
Head of Education
030/2362589412 Niels Boehnke (born 1984) studied history and political science in Greifswald (B.A.) and then political science and economics as an accompanying subject in Heidelberg (M.A.). From November 2013 to May 2014, he worked as an intern at the foundation and was entrusted in particular with tasks in the area of the German Computer Game Award. Since February 2015, he has been working as a project manager at the Foundation and has supervised various projects, including the specialist conference ‘Digital Games in Children's Hands’, the new edition of the Parents' Guide, the study ‘Traffic and Applied Interactive Technologies (APITs)’ and various live gaming sessions. Currently, he is Head of Education and responsibile for the initiative ‘Stronger with Games’.
Jessica Dietz
Project Lead
030/2362589425 Jessica Dietz studied Philosophy and Business Administration at the University of Mannheim (B.A.) and Cultural Mediation with a focus on theater at the University of Hildesheim (M.A.). After professional experience in dance and theater, she worked as an event curator and manager at the "Kompetenzzentrum Kultur- und Kreativwirtschaft des Bundes", where she mediated the diverse approaches of the cultural and creative industries and their potential for innovation. Since May 2023, Jessica Dietz has been leading the project "Games and Value Education" at the Foundation for Digital Games Culture.
Melanie Fussenegger
Project Lead
030/2362589421 Melanie Fussenegger studied Audiovisual Media at the Stuttgart Media University (B.Eng.) and MultiMediaArt at the Salzburg University of Applied Sciences (M.A.). From 2015 she worked as a lecturer for the subjects 3D, drawing, design theory, game design and portfolio management at the b.i.b. International College in Bergisch Gladbach. Later, she also became the course director for the degree program "Game Design - Art and Animation" there. When she moved to Berlin, she joined the media agency Exozet - now Endava Berlin - where she first worked as Quality Assurance and shortly after as Project Manager on various website and app projects. Since March 2022, Melanie Fussenegger has been working as a project manager and later project lead for the Digital Games Culture Foundation.
Katrin Hermann
Office Manager
030/2362589431 Katrin Hermann was born in 1979 in Southern Germany. After spending time abroad in Egypt, she decided to study freight forwarding and logistics at the state vocational college in Neu-Ulm. After successfully passing the IHK examination, she managed her parents' company for 5 years as a junior in the 4th generation. In 2011 she moved to Berlin with her family to work from then on as an office manager and personal assistant. Employed as a team assistant at Ultra Motor GmbH, an e-bike brand with its own design, later Hero Eco Ltd. she was responsible for the back office. From 2016 she worked at Smart AdServer, a French company headquartered in Paris. There she worked in the Berlin office in the areas of office, finance and events/marketing. Since June 2024, Katrin Hermann has held the position of Office Manager for the Foundation for Digital Games Culture.
Benjamin Hillmann
Senior Communications Manager
030/2362589415 Benjamin Hillmann (born 1986) studied Cultural Studies and German at the University of Bremen (B.A.) and then Media Studies at the Babelsberg Film University (M.A.). From 2012, he worked first as a student trainee and later as an editor for the BIU – Bundesverband Interaktive Unterhaltungssoftware and game – The German Games Industry Association . After that he worked for online media publisher Webedia as Content Manager. Since February 2019, Benjamin Hillmann has been working as a communications and project manager for the Foundation for Digital Games Culture.
Christian Huberts
Project Lead
030/2362589416 Christian Huberts (born 1982) studied cultural studies and aesthetic practice at the University of Hildesheim (diploma). Since 2009, he has worked as a freelance cultural and media studies publicist and regularly appears as a gaming expert at cultural events, in news articles and on radio and television. Most recently, he supported the Berlin studio waza! Games in the development of the political education app Konterbunt and was editor of the ‘Handbuch Gameskultur’ of the German Cultural Council and the industry association game. Since March 2020, Christian Huberts has been working as a project manager at the Foundation for Digital Games Culture, where he has been heading the ‘Erinnern mit Games (Remembering with Games)’ initiative since the end of 2021.
Tobias Lo Coco
Finance & Controlling
030/2362589417 Tobias Lo Coco (born 1992) studied Politics, Administration and Organisation (B.A.) and then Political Science (M.A.) at the University of Potsdam. From 2018 onwards, he initially worked as a volunteer project assistant in the context of various projects on the topic of the European Union for the Brandenburg regional association of the Europa-Union Deutschland (EUD). Since December 2019, Tobias Lo Coco has been working as a project assistant for the ‘German Computer Game Awards’ and ‘gamescom Award’ for the Foundation for Digital Games Culture, among others.
Malina Riedl
Project Lead
030/2362589418 Malina Riedl studied Cultural Studies and Spanish Philology (B.A.) at the University of Potsdam. In 2019, she completed an internship in curation at the Computer Games Museum Berlin. In December 2019, she worked for the first time at the Foundation for Digital Games Culture for the project ‘Stärker mit Games’ (Stronger with Games). In the meantime, she supervised the organization and planning of the digital expansion of the "International Computer Game Collection" and is currently responsible, among other things, for the "Project Days Games".
Dominic Riemenschneider
Projektmanager
030/2362589424 Dominic Riemenschneider (Jahrgang 1988) studierte Kunstgeschichte, Christliche Archäologie/Byzantinische Kunstgeschichte und Evangelische Theologie an der Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz (Magister Artium). Nach unterschiedlichen Stationen in der Kultur- und Kreativbranche sowie im kirchlichen Dienst mit den Schwerpunkten Kommunikation, Events und Administration arbeitet er seit Februar 2024 als Projektmanager im Awardbüro des Deutschen Computerspielpreises. Neben seiner Tätigkeit für die Stiftung arbeitet er freiberuflich in der Vermittlung von Kunst, Architektur und Geschichte in Games, Fantasy und Science Fiction.
Benjamin Rostalski
Head of Culture
030/2362589414 Benjamin Rostalski (born 1983) studied political science in Berlin from 2003 to 2010. From 2006 to 2012, he worked for the German Entertainment Software Self-Regulation Body (USK) as a reviewer for computer and video games. In 2010, he took over the project area of the USK. Since 2011, he has been in charge of the award office of the ‘German Computer Game Award’, among other things. As Head of Culture he is currently responsible for the foundation's cultural projects..
Matej Samide
Communications Manager Let's Remember!
030/2362589423 Matej Samide (born 1989) studied History and Philosophy at the University of Stuttgart and the Humboldt University of Berlin (B.A.) and then History at the Humboldt University of Berlin (M.A.). From 2019 he worked as Press Officer DACH at the international video game PR agency Cosmocover. Since 2024, Matej Samide has been working for the Foundation for Digital Games Culture as Communications Manager in the project "Let's Remember! Memory cultures with games on site".
Gideon Steins
Project Assistance
030/2362589429 Gideon Steins (born 1999) has been studying special education and history for a teaching degree (B.A.) at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin since 2021. Before and during his studies he worked in the telecommunications sector. Since 2024, he has been supporting the foundation's "Project Days Games Berlin-Brandenburg" as a project assistant. He is interested in combining digital media and games with pedagogical approaches, which fits perfectly with his passion for video games.
Luise Volkmer
Office Manager (on maternity leave)
030/2362589422 Luise Volkmer (born 1994) trained as a retail saleswoman. From 2019, she initially worked as a Sales and Service Consultant for Wayfair. in 2022 she completed further education in office management and human resources. Since March 2023, Luise Volkmer is working as Office Manager for the Foundation for Digital Games Culture. She has been on maternity leave since the beginning of February 2024.
Responsibility & Values
We are committed to an inclusive working environment based on mutual respect and appreciation. Read more about this in our Code of Conduct for Appreciative Interaction (German language-version only).
We are committed to fostering an open-minded, diverse, and democratic society through our projects. We consistently oppose anti-Semitism, homophobia, Islamophobia, racism, sexism and any other form of group-related misanthropy, discrimination or hate speech. Our Safe Space Policy applies to all our events.