Annual Report

Table of contents

Alternative Text missing

Chapter 01

Strategic reorientation: Achieving more together

2022 was a year of new beginnings

The Allianz Umweltstiftung and the Allianz Kulturstiftung merged to form the Allianz Foundation. The new Foundation draws together and strengthens existing resources – and places the focus on better living conditions for future generations. 
 

Issues such as global and environmental public goods, biodiversity, climate and peacekeeping cannot be addressed without cooperation.

Maja Göpel
Transformation researcher and sustainability expert

In many respects, the Allianz Foundation itself also focuses on cooperation and finding new ways of working together. It emerged following the merger of the former Allianz Umweltstiftung and the Allianz Kulturstiftung in 2022 in response to the increased global challenges we face.

The two previous foundations were established to promote social cohesion in Europe and preserve a livable environment. The history of the Allianz Umweltstiftung goes back to 1989, and the Allianz Kulturstiftung was founded in 2000. Since then, the societal and environmental conditions have fundamentally changed. The window of opportunity in which we can curb global warming and its catastrophic consequences will soon be shutting. Growing nationalism the world over poses a threat to our world order that is founded on peace and cooperation. And, not least, war is again raging in Europe. Cohesion, solidarity and the associated individual liberties are being put to a severe test as a result.

We need to fundamentally realign our societies to be able to respond adequately to these challenges. We also need to realign the Allianz Foundation to be able to continue fulfilling our mission. With this joint approach, the Foundation seeks to contribute to cultural change – a mission that has only just begun and that we need to continue breathing life into throughout 2023, building on the two predecessor organizations’ wealth of experience.

Bénédicte Savoy is leaning on a table and smiling towards the hall packed with people. Sheis smiling while she holds a speech.

“Is there courage, is there hope? The answer is: Yes!"”

Prof. Dr. Bénédicte Savoy
Vice-Chairwoman of the Board of Trustees of the Allianz Foundation Kuratoriums

Our mission: Better living conditions for future generations

The Allianz Foundation works at the intersection between the challenges our planet and thus humanity itself currently face. We are guided by the firm belief that open societies, social justice and a livable environment are mutually dependent and, as a result, call for more joined-up thinking. Only a holistic approach will be able to provide solutions that promote systemic change.

To achieve this we cooperate with committed individuals and organizations in the realms of civil society, art and culture, and climate action – Risktakers treading new paths to create better living conditions for future generations. The focus is on three strategic goals: To promote equal opportunities. To create open, diverse and resilient societies across Europe. To combat climate change and preserve biodiversity.

We have summarized these goals in the following three strategic areas:

For empowered people

For open societies

For a living planet

“We need young people to be decision makers so they are not just invited to share their opinion and leave the room but that people of all generations be in the room, determining major conversations.”
Katz Laszlo, The Europeans, Grantee of Allianz Foundation
Katz Laszlo is standing in fron of a door, smiles, wears headphones and seems to be recording something.

Katz Laszlo © private

The Allianz Foundation’s new fields of action

The Allianz Foundation underwent a comprehensive strategy process to redefine its fields of action and align them in the face of current social developments – taking into account the experience gained and networks established by the Allianz Umweltstiftung and the Allianz Kulturstiftung.

The Allianz Foundation established as an organization

The Allianz Foundation, a non-profit, private foundation under civil law, is legally domiciled in Munich. Its supervisory authority is the government of Upper Bavaria in Munich. The Foundation’s offices are in the Allianz Forum next to the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin.

Allianz SE has been engaged in philanthropy for more than 30 years and supports projects in the realms of the environment, civil society, and art and culture through its foundations. Allianz Stiftung was founded in 1989 – on the 100th anniversary of the inception of the then Allianz AG – and endowed with capital of 100 million deutschmarks.

The Allianz Kulturstiftung was founded in 2000 with endowment capital of 50 million euros. The former Allianz Stiftung subsequently became the Allianz Umweltstiftung. The two foundations worked independently of each other, until they merged in 2022 under the umbrella of the Allianz Foundation. The Allianz Kulturstiftung is in liquidation.

The two predecessor organizations brought an endowment capital of 100 million euros to the new Foundation. The Allianz Foundation’s funding is drawn from the income that the endowment capital generates. Starting in 2022, it will receive an additional annual donation from Allianz SE of 5 million euros over a 10-year period. The Foundation can also draw on third-party funding from cooperations. The Allianz Foundation’s income totaled 8 million euros in 2022.

0 million euros

Endowment capital

0 million euros

Allianz SE donation

0 million euros

Total income from the foundations in 2022

A new corporate identity for the relaunch

The Allianz Foundation collaborated with kellerundlieder to design a new brand and corporate identity for the relaunch. Key elements are the word mark “Allianz Foundation”, the design mark and a reduced color palette. Different color schemes are assigned to the Foundation’s three sub-brands.

The design mark- an angle - is the core element of the Foundation’s corporate design. It symbolizes the merger between the Allianz Kulturstiftung and the Allianz Umweltstiftung. A new website, a new typeface and a uniform artistic pictorial language also form part of the relaunch.

The aim in creating a new corporate identity was to establish clear standards for uniform brand communications and thus to guarantee brand recognition. These standards create a clear framework for communication materials and content generation. The website lives by its fresh content and not by functioning as a repository for old posts. The focus is now much more on content.

A black background with a white hinge on it.

The angle as a design mark

 Museum of Natural History from the outside with a yellow Allianz Foundation banner

Chapter 02

Highlight of 2022: Starting our journey together

On November 15, we made it official: The launch of the Allianz Foundation – the merger of the former Allianz Umweltstiftung und the Allianz Kulturstiftung - was announced on all media channels. The announcement reached our partners in civil society and the realms of environmental protection, art and culture as well as at the relevant stakeholders in NGOs, think tanks, in politics and business, and the European foundation landscape.

Besides launching the Allianz Foundation website in the new corporate design, a first funding call was launched, the Climate Culture Call. It clearly sets out the new Foundation’s strategic approach: working at the intersection between climate action, culture and social justice.

A launch event was held on 21 November 2022 in the Natural History Museum in Berlin that was attended by more than 300 of the Foundation’s partners and friends.

Following opening remarks by the Nobel Prize Laureate for Literature Olga Tokarczuk and Günther Thallinger, Member of the Board of Management of Allianz SE, guests were given a brief tour of the Allianz Foundation’s areas of activity, moderated by Esra Kücük, its CEO, in tandem with the conductor and Foundation partner Lefteris Veniadis. The art historian Bénédicte Savoy, the author Enis Maci and the Mayor of Wuppertal, Uwe Schneidewind, highlighted the Foundation’s three strategic goals – For empowered people. For open societies. For a living planet – through literary and discursive contributions. The event was artistically framed by a performance by the trio La Fleur, a sound installation by Kirsten Reese and musical interventions by the Trio Gabbeh.

People dancing in the Museum for Science

People dancing in the Museum of Natural History during the launch event © Steffi Retti

Günther Thallinger holds a microphone and is speaking to the audience

Günther Thallinger from the Allianz SE Board of Management spoke introductory words on the merger of the two predecessor foundations at the launch event © Steffi Retti

Three persons are standing on a small stage. One is playing a clarinette, one a contrabass and one person is singing

The Trio Gabbeh framed the evening with musical performances © Steffi Retti

Prof. Dr. Uwe Schneidewind is speaking to the audience

Prof. Dr. Uwe Schneidewind, Mayor of the City of Wuppertal and member of the Board of Trustees, also set thematic accents, especially on the new strategic area Planet © Steffi Retti

La Fleur is dancing. They move so fast, that the camera can't catch their movement. All three are blurred

The event concluded with an artistic intervention by the trio La Fleur © Steffi Retti

The team of the Hubs of the Allianz Foundation are standing on the roof top terrace of a building. It is winter, it is grey and in the background you see the skyline of Berlin

Allianz Foundation Hubs Network © Allianz Foundation

Allianz Foundation Launch Weeks

To mark the launch, the first three Allianz Foundation Hubs in Istanbul, Palermo and Prizren met for the first time and laid the foundation for cross-border exchange. All the attending project partners met ahead of the launch event, taking a step toward establishing a European network.

Up to the end of 2022 the Allianz Foundation’s flagship programs – Allianz Foundation Study, Allianz Foundation Fellows and Allianz Foundation Hubs – were comprehensively communicated and addressed in three themed weeks.

Portraits of and interviews with the Hubs in Istanbul, Palermo and Prizren and the Fellows Idil Baydar, Makan Fofana and Maja Göpel were published. The first report in the Allianz Foundation’s Study Series – the Risktaker Pulse – was published on 29 November. The Risktaker Fellows Call was launched in conjunction with SUPERRR Lab on 5 December. Finally, the Allianz Foundation’s first newsletter, published on 21 December, took stock of an eventful year.

Allianz Foundation Fellow Makan Fofana speaks to another guest of the lauch event.

Before the launch event numerous Foundation partners, Hubs teams and Fellows met for a networking gathering. Here in the center Allianz Foundation Fellow Makan Fofana © Steffi Retti

Further highlights of the launch weeks
 

A pink phone on a wooden stake close. In the background there ist water and plants and a blue sky.

November 15th:
Publication Climate Cultures Call.

Conductor and Allianz Foundation Partner Lefteris Veniadis stands next to Esra Kücük, Allianz Foundation CEO on a stage. They both wear very elegant clothes and are hosting the evening

November 21th:
Allianz Foundation Launch Event

Black letters saying Risktaker Pulse on an green background

November 29th:
Publication of the Allianz Foundation Risktaker Pulse

Logo of the Risktakers Fellowship  designed by Unicorn Studio

December 6th:
Publication Ristakers Fellowship Call.
 

Comments on our launch

Claudia Roth is standing on a balcony and smiles into the camera. In the background you see the German Parliament Building

Claudia Roth © J. Konrad Schmidt

Quote Julia Kloiber on a picture of her

Julia Kloiber © Marzena Skubatz

Quote of Naziha Saeed on a picture of her next to a column of the Brandenburger Tor

Naziha Saeed @ Marcel Wogram

Quote André Schmitz on a picture of him speaking into a microphone outside

André Schmitz © Schwarzkopf-Stiftung Adrian Jankowski

Quote Marcel Fratzscher on a picture of him

Marcel Fratzscher © DIW Berlin B. Dietl

Alternative Text missing

Ipek Ipecioglu © üzüm derin solak @uzumphoto

A hand holds a bengaloo and red smoke is coming out of it.

Chapter 03

Allianz Foundation Funding Program: Thinking beyond borders

The Allianz Foundation promotes initiatives across Europe and the Mediterranean region with a civil society, environmental, cultural and artistic background in three key strategic areas. The flagship programs – Allianz Foundation Study, Allianz Foundation Hubs and Allianz Foundation Fellows – support our mission.


The challenges arising from climate change and the threats that open, diverse societies face do not stop at national borders. That is why the Allianz Foundation is positioning itself more strongly within a European network of partners and funding projects. Europe is the basis and focus of our activities. But if we want to do justice to our values and our mission, then our responsibility must not stop at national borders. And so the Allianz Foundation also cooperates with people and organizations beyond Europe’s borders – especially in countries with politically and socially fragile systems in the Mediterranean region. In 2022 the Allianz Foundation and its funding partners were active in a total of 40 countries.

The Allianz Foundation and the two previous foundations – the Allianz Kulturstiftung and the Allianz Umweltstiftung – spent a total of 4.7 million euros on the purpose of the Foundation. That sum includes committed funding and personnel expenses which are allocated directly to the funding and flagship programs.

0 million euros

Spending on the purpose of the Foundation

Funding volumes

In 2022, funding allocated to individual projects ranged between 8,000 and 125,000 euros.

The year was dominated by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which has already claimed countless lives, destroyed cultural organizations and institutions and played havoc with social systems. Under the Culture of Solidarity Fund set up in cooperation with the European Cultural Foundation we were able to provide emergency assistance on the ground. A series of cultural activities received generous donations. The Fund also enables initiatives to combat disinformation as well as to provide safe cultural spaces.

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to

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Funding volumes for the projects

The new Allianz Foundation’s funding program covers a broad range of topics and focuses on the strategic areas described in the previous chapter. The focus is on promoting equal opportunities (“For empowered people”), open, diverse and resilient societies in Europe (“For open societies”) and combating climate change and preserving biodiversity (“For a living planet”). 

“The Allianz Kulturstiftung has supported ʻWeiter Schreibenʼ from the very start. The courage to trust in its potential, the open-mindedness to continuously share ideas, the political sensitivity and the humanity with which all this is done are unusual.”

The WIR MACHEN DAS and “Weiter Schreiben” team
Project Partner of the Allianz Foundation

Third-party-funded projects

In future, the Allianz Foundation will be using its funds more in combination with those of its partner organizations so as to have a greater impact. In 2022, funding from the German Federal Foreign Office was used in conjunction with internal budgets to fund the “Berlin Correspondences” series and from the Stiftung Brandenburger Tor to fund the “Torschreiber” project.

The European Climate Hub also took up its work in our “Planet” strategic area.  Together with the Climate Imperative Foundation, the Hub supports partner organizations that are contributing to the implementation of the European Green Deal and fighting the climate crisis. Their collective goal is to achieve the transition to a resource-efficient society and to ensure the transformation toward climate neutrality by 2050 while not losing sight of social justice and economic prosperity. The European Climate Hub’s civil society partners are involved in climate action work through driving forward concrete change on the ground, encouraging progressive voices and forging new European alliances.

Eine Wärmepumpe

Wärmepumpe © U. J. Alexander

Overview of 2022 projects

A total of 60 funding projects, including smaller individual operational projects such as a discussion series, were supported in the reporting year 2022. All the funding projects of the previous Allianz Kulturstiftung and Allianz Umweltstiftung were fully supported and successfully completed until the end of the funding period. The volume of funding available to all projects totaled 3.6 million euros.

ProjectnameDetails
Who is the contemporary Athenian?
people
Details, Who is the contemporary Athenian?
Fly With Me
people
Details, Fly With Me
Kompetenzzentrum Anti-Schwarzer Rassismus
people
Details, Kompetenzzentrum Anti-Schwarzer Rassismus
Outernational
society
Details, Outernational
Ländliche Produktivkräfte - Ein transnationales kollaboratives Village-Play
society
Details, Ländliche Produktivkräfte - Ein transnationales kollaboratives Village-Play
Architecture of a Ruined Body
society
Details, Architecture of a Ruined Body
Literature Without Borders
society
Details, Literature Without Borders
Planet Ears
society
Details, Planet Ears
Summoning our Communities: Private Retreats and Public Summons
society
Details, Summoning our Communities: Private Retreats and Public Summons
Voids
society
Details, Voids
Young Curators' Workshop - Berlin Biennale
society
Details, Young Curators' Workshop - Berlin Biennale
Europa Weiter Schreiben
people
Details, Europa Weiter Schreiben
Chios Music Festival
society
Details, Chios Music Festival
Syria Cultural Index
society
Details, Syria Cultural Index
CentrALT
society
Details, CentrALT
The Fellowship of Questions
society
Details, The Fellowship of Questions
DRIN - Visions for children's books
society
Details, DRIN - Visions for children's books
Minor Swing Kids
society
Details, Minor Swing Kids
Mobilistan
society
Details, Mobilistan
Festiwal Góry Literatury
society
Details, Festiwal Góry Literatury
Dream City Festival
society
Details, Dream City Festival
Europasinfonie
society
Details, Europasinfonie
Batailles des Rites
society
Details, Batailles des Rites
Food Culture Days
planet
Details, Food Culture Days
Deutscher Nachhaltigkeitspreis für Städte und Gemeinden
planet
Details, Deutscher Nachhaltigkeitspreis für Städte und Gemeinden
Das ist der Gipfel im Nationalpark Berchtesgaden
planet
Details, Das ist der Gipfel im Nationalpark Berchtesgaden
Klimaschutz nebenan
planet
Details, Klimaschutz nebenan
Der Weg ist das Ziel im Biosphärengebiet Schwäbische Alb
planet
Details, Der Weg ist das Ziel im Biosphärengebiet Schwäbische Alb
Stadtbaumkampagne Stuttgart
planet
Details, Stadtbaumkampagne Stuttgart
Deutscher Klimapreis
planet
Details, Deutscher Klimapreis
The N.E.W. School (Namelesse Education Workspace)
people
Details, The N.E.W. School (Namelesse Education Workspace)
Refocus Media Labs
people
Details, Refocus Media Labs
JIK Academy for Euro-Postmigrant Narrative Campaigners
people
Details, JIK Academy for Euro-Postmigrant Narrative Campaigners
De Structura
people
Details, De Structura
Europe Talks
society
Details, Europe Talks
European Images
society
Details, European Images
This Is What A Generation Sounds Like - Podcast for the planet
society
Details, This Is What A Generation Sounds Like - Podcast for the planet
Lonely Nations
society
Details, Lonely Nations
What the Future Wants
society
Details, What the Future Wants
Between Land and Sea
society
Details, Between Land and Sea
Social Embodiment of Critical Culture
society
Details, Social Embodiment of Critical Culture
Art to Clim'Act
society
Details, Art to Clim'Act
Anti-Migrant Violence at the EU Borders
society
Details, Anti-Migrant Violence at the EU Borders
Culture of Solidarity Fund for Ukraine
society
Details, Culture of Solidarity Fund for Ukraine
Conference Mediendienst Integration - Communicating 2022 migration challenges: Prepare, Expect, Act
society
Details, Conference Mediendienst Integration - Communicating 2022 migration challenges: Prepare, Expect, Act
Smart Prisons
society
Details, Smart Prisons
Radical Rituals
society
Details, Radical Rituals
Emergency Exit - FreeSZFE
society
Details, Emergency Exit - FreeSZFE
Berliner Korrespondenzen: Break Up
society
Details, Berliner Korrespondenzen: Break Up
Songs of Wounding Solidarity Concert
society
Details, Songs of Wounding Solidarity Concert
Berliner Korrespondenzen Spezial: Feministische Außenpolitik
society
Details, Berliner Korrespondenzen Spezial: Feministische Außenpolitik
EXTRADISCIPLINARY!
society
Details, EXTRADISCIPLINARY!
May Ayim Fonds
people
Details, May Ayim Fonds
Fixing What's Broken (Academy in Exile)
society
Details, Fixing What's Broken (Academy in Exile)
Yasar Kemal Symposium
society
Details, Yasar Kemal Symposium
Ic Ice Festival
society
Details, Ic Ice Festival
Operational Factography INSTAR at documenta 15
society
Details, Operational Factography INSTAR at documenta 15
European Climate Hub: Towards a decarbonized future
planet
Details, European Climate Hub: Towards a decarbonized future
Clean Cities Campaign
planet
Details, Clean Cities Campaign
Schlüsseltechnologie für Klimaschutz in Gebäuden: Die Wärmepumpe im Mehrfamilienhaus in der Praxis
planet
Details, Schlüsseltechnologie für Klimaschutz in Gebäuden: Die Wärmepumpe im Mehrfamilienhaus in der Praxis

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Climate Cultures Call

In addition to its ongoing funding program, the Allianz Foundation regularly publishes special funding calls. A first specific funding call was the Climate Cultures Call. It ran from 15 November to 31 December 2022.

The Climate Cultures Call targets the intersection of climate action, culture and social justice. It addresses initiatives that focus on the link between global warming and the social climate and that draw impetus for developing new cultural practices and ways of thinking from that. The Call is prototypical for the new Allianz Foundation’s strategy of promoting cultural transformation through holistic approaches– a basic precondition for an effective response to the climate crisis.

Pink Phone © Pixabay

Pink Phone © Pixabay

Despite the comparatively short application period, more than 300 inspiring project proposals from across Europe and the Mediterranean region were submitted. Ten projects were selected in spring 2023 and will be implemented in the course of 2023.

“With their help, we can provide a platform for underrepresented voices in Europe and shine a light on climate injustice”

Katy Lee & Dominic Kraemer
The Europeans - a grant project of the Allianz Foundation.

Silhouette of people under clear sky during dusk in Prizren, Kosovo

Chapter 04

Allianz Foundation Flagship Programs: Conveying knowledge, creating networks and empowering people

Three operative programs that were launched together with the Allianz Foundation contribute to implementing our mission. They were all conceptionally developed and launched with first concrete initiatives in 2022 and will be taken forward and implemented in the course of 2023. The Allianz Foundation invested 1.1 million euros in the flagship programs’ start-up phase.

0 million euros

Expenditures for Flagship Programs

Allianz Foundation Team member sits in the middle of a room and turns around listening to someone speaking.

Chapter 05

Operations: Every endeavor needs a dedicated team

Team and Administration

The Allianz Foundation’s top priority is supporting projects and initiatives with a civil society, environmental, cultural and artistic background that are committed to working toward better living conditions for future generations. The Foundation’s team is responsible for identifying and promoting those initiatives and partner organizations that best fit our mission.

The program and project managers have access to extensive networks in the world of art and culture, in European civil society and within environmental and climate organizations. To ensure that the best benefit can be drawn from these networks and the experience to be gained from them, the team is divided into the sub-areas “Culture,” “Europe” and “Environment.” However, the boundaries between these areas are fluid, and the team actively identifies projects at the intersection between the strategic areas “For empowered people,” “For open societies” and “For a living planet.”

The Allianz Foundation attaches great importance to having a diverse team whose members have different qualifications, language skills and experience. We also draw on external experts for their technical and local knowledge, for example via the Allianz Foundation Hubs in various countries. For our Allianz Foundation Study program we drew on renowned experts from civil society, the world of art and culture, science and the media to form our Research Advisory Board. 

 Three persons are standing in a room, two are laughing, while a tghird person is adressing the guests with something that makes them laugh.

Team members and project partners © Steffi Retti

Administrative spending marked by the merger

2022 was dominated by strategic developments relating to the launch of the new Allianz Foundation and preparations for the merger between the two predecessor organizations. In total, the Foundation spent around 1.3 million euros on material costs and administrative personnel not directly allocated to funding or operative projects. Its administrative expense ratio was 21 per cent.

There was an additional approx. 333,000 euros in spending that was directly linked to the merger between the two predecessor organizations.

As at 31 December 2022, the Allianz Foundation had 21 members of staff, the majority of whom were recruited from the staff of the two previous foundations. These 21 posts equate to 17.3 full-time equivalents. 

0 FTEs

Full-time equivalents

0 Persons

Number of staff

0 %

Administrative expense ratio (minus special expenses)

Sustainable work practices

Stepping up the pace toward carbon neutrality is one of the main focuses that the Allianz Foundation supports through its funding programs. And we strive to achieve that goal in our own work, too. That is why we started a sustainability initiative when the new Foundation was launched. Together with KlimAktiv, an external consultancy firm, we will, as a first step, record emissions from our energy consumption, business trips etc. After analyzing the data we will draw up a strategy for minimizing emissions and offsetting any residual emissions. This process is to be completed by the end of 2023.

Members of the Board of Trustees and the Executive Board during the launch event sitting in a room and laughing about something.

Chapter 06

Governance: Responsible board and management

The Allianz Foundation’s statutory bodies are its Executive Board and Board of Trustees. The tasks of both bodies are set out in the statutes (German only).

Esra Kücük is CEO of the Allianz Foundation. As Esra Kücük went on parental leave for six months in November 2022, the COO and an external expert (part-time) were appointed to the Executive Board as temporary deputies. Up until May 2023 the Executive Board thus comprised the following:

  • Esra Kücük, CEO
  • Katharina E. Thomas, COO and Interim CEO (until May 2023)
  • Jürgen Maier, Interim CEO (until May 2023)

The Board of Trustees was newly assembled when the Allianz Foundation was established. As at the end of 2022 it comprised the following members: 

  • Dr. Werner Zedelius (Chair)
  • Prof. Dr. Bénédicte Savoy (Deputy Chair)
  • Emilio Galli Zugaro
  • Basil Kerski
  • Prof. Dr. Susan Neiman
  • Hermann Rothert
  • Prof. Dr. Uwe Schneidewind

The Board of Trustees meets twice a year. The new Board held its first meeting in November 2022.

Annual financial statements and data protection

The 2022 annual financial statements of the Allianz Kulturstiftung and the Allianz Foundation (formerly Allianz Umweltstiftung) were audited by RHS Rein Hambrecht Singer GmbH Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft, Steuerberatungsgesellschaft, Munich, and endorsed with an unqualified audit certificate.

The Allianz Foundation cooperates with 2B Advice GmbH, Bonn, to ensure compliance with data protection regulations and to complete its tasks under Article 39 of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

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