Amelie Thyssen, the richest woman in West Germany, surprisingly donated half of her industrial fortune in 1960: Together with her daughter Anita, she established the first large private foundation to promote science in the Federal Republic. This book explores the family and corporate history as well as the media response to this unusual transaction. In addition to the heiresses of Fritz Thyssen, the circle of her asset managers and advisors stands out, whose excellent connections extended as far as the Federal Chancellery. For the first time the minutes of this "Thyssen Committee" are evaluated, which shed new light on internal tensions in the formation of the Thyssen Group. The foundation was involved in the humanities and social sciences and in medical research. In view of the funding initiatives and the learned minds on the Scientific Advisory Board, the study makes a contribution to the intellectual history of the Bonn Republic.