What We Do
What We Do
Sustainable Management
Real Estate for a Healthier Future
The Wilhelm Sander Foundation uses its residential and commercial properties strategically to fulfil its foundation’s purpose: the promotion of medical research. As part of its long-term asset management, we continuously develop our properties and manage them with financial stability.
Every rental income flows into research funding, making our properties important building blocks for societal progress. Through sustainable property management, we not only create functional spaces but also secure the permanent financial basis for pioneering projects in cancer research.
Sustainable Management
Real Estate for a Healthier Future
The Wilhelm Sander Foundation uses its residential and commercial properties strategically to fulfil its foundation’s purpose: the promotion of medical research. As part of its long-term asset management, we continuously develop our properties and manage them with financial stability.
Every rental income flows into research funding, making our properties important building blocks for societal progress. Through sustainable property management, we not only create functional spaces but also secure the permanent financial basis for pioneering projects in cancer research.
Preserving Value and Ensuring Viability
Our property management rests on two pillars of successful administration: commercial and technical management.
We handle all organisational and financial tasks relating to our property portfolio:
- Lettings: preparation of property listings, viewings, tenant selection and credit checks
- Contract management: conclusion, amendment and termination of tenancy agreements
- Financial administration: rent monitoring, arrears management, service charge settlements
- Accounting, payment transactions and financial planning with reporting
We ensure the smooth operation and preservation of value of our properties:
- Property management: handovers, regular inspections and condition assessments
- Maintenance: servicing, repairs and coordination of refurbishment measures
- Service providers: obtaining and reviewing quotes from tradespeople and service providers
- Compliance: adherence to statutory regulations, energy optimisation and documentation
Preserving Value andEnsuring Viability
Our property management rests on two pillars of successful administration: commercial and technical management.
We handle all organisational and financial tasks relating to our property portfolio:
- Lettings: preparation of property listings, viewings, tenant selection and credit checks
- Contract management: conclusion, amendment and termination of tenancy agreements
- Financial administration: rent monitoring, arrears management, service charge settlements
- Accounting, payment transactions and financial planning with reporting
We ensure the smooth operation and preservation of value of our properties:
- Property management: handovers, regular inspections and condition assessments
- Maintenance: servicing, repairs and coordination of refurbishment measures
- Service providers: obtaining and reviewing quotes from tradespeople and service providers
- Compliance: adherence to statutory regulations, energy optimisation and documentation
Our History
From Sterile Catgut to a Real Estate Legacy
From the very beginning, the construction and management of properties was a central task of the Wilhelm Sander Foundation. Its origins lie in Leverkusen, where around 440 apartments and numerous retail units were built for Bayer AG between 1956 and 1962. From an early stage, Wilhelm Sander developed and maintained properties strategically to secure long-term returns. The proud result was 4,700 apartments in Germany and Switzerland, which he bequeathed to the foundation.
Following his success in sterile catgut manufacturing, Wilhelm Sander discovered his next great challenge entirely by chance: company-subsidised housing construction. In 1955, whilst reading a newspaper late one evening, he came across an advertisement for a construction project in Leverkusen-Schlebusch that immediately caught his attention.
Without hesitation, Sander seized the opportunity and embarked on a large-scale construction project for Bayer AG. Between 1956 and 1962, 440 apartments and 16 retail units were built, let exclusively to the company’s employees. Bayer AG supported the project with interest-free loans, guaranteed long-term occupancy and transferred the rental income directly to Sander.
Wilhelm Sander began his career in a highly specialised niche before making his fortune in the property sector. In 1927 he acquired a company manufacturing sterile catgut – which had established itself as a suture material for surgical procedures since the late 19th century.
This first venture marked the beginning of an extraordinary period of residential construction that would define Wilhelm Sander’s career in the years that followed. From an early stage, properties were developed and maintained strategically to secure long-term returns:
From 1939
First steps: acquisition of five properties in Nuremberg, Giessen and Herne
From 1952
Construction activity in Nuremberg and Neustadt an der Donau (Regensburger Strasse) (1952–1953)
1955-1959
Major projects in Leverkusen-Schlebusch and Munich (Prinzregentenstrasse)
From 1962
Large-scale company housing construction for Bayer AG in Leverkusen, including the districts of Hitdorf, Rheindorf, Opladen, Heidgen and Dormagen
From 1965
Expansion into Switzerland: investments in residential construction in the Lucerne area
From 1969
Diversification: investments in shipping and hotel developments
It is thanks to Wilhelm Sander’s versatility and entrepreneurial vision that the former sterile catgut manufacturer became a successful property entrepreneur. During the 1950s and 1960s, Wilhelm Sander built and acquired around 4,700 apartments in Germany and Switzerland as developer and investor – an extensive real estate portfolio that he left to his foundation.
Wilhelm Sander’s journey from sterile catgut manufacturer to successful property entrepreneur is an inspiring example of versatility and entrepreneurial foresight. His legacy lives on in our foundation and continues to fund medical research to this day.
Historical Images
