Friends of the Museum of Islamic Art in the Pergamonmuseum

§ 1 Name, registered location

1. The official German name of the Association is “Freunde des Museums für Islamische Kunst im Pergamonmuseum e. V.”. It is entered in the District Court of Charlottenburg’s register of associations.
2. The Association’s registered location is Berlin. 

§ 2 Purpose and functions 

1. The Association exclusively and directly pursues non-profit activities as defined by the Tax-Deductible Purposes clause (Section 51 ff.) of the German Tax Code. The Association is a not-for-profit organization; it does not conduct commercial activities of any kind. The Association’s funds may be applied only to those activities defined in its articles of association. Members do not receive any financial contributions from the Association’s funds. No individual may benefit from expenditures that are unrelated to the purposes of the Association, or through disproportionately high compensation.
2. It is the task of the Association to support the Museum of Islamic Art in its public role of imparting knowledge and information about the art, architecture, archeology and culture of multilayered Muslim societies, which include other religious and ethnic groups that are part of those societies. In particular, it supports and promotes the Museum with regard to: 

1. 1. Acquisitions of collection items 
   2. The design, financing and organization of exhibitions, conferences, lectures and presentations, guided tours, excursions and special cultural programs 
   3. Child, youth and adult education programs in the form of special guided tours, teacher training and development of educational materials for the Museum 
   4. Outreach to attract new groups of visitors (particularly disadvantaged persons with regard to education, place of origin, age, gender, ethnicity and religion) and public relations via new communication formats in line with the ideals of an inclusive museum
   5. Research and scientific exchange (fieldwork, research on items in the collection, workshops)
   6. Conservation (restoration) of items in the collection 
   7. Publication of catalogs and other printed materials
   8. Expenses for functional and technical equipment and installations 
   9. Financial and non-material support of working groups 

§ 3 Becoming a member, member contributions 

1. Any fully and legally competent individual or legal entity who submits a written application and is willing to support the Association’s mission may become a member of the Association. The Executive Board shall make decisions regarding the admission of members. The General Assembly of Members shall decide on the appointment of honorary members.
2. A rejected membership application cannot be contested, and no justification is required to be given.
3. Every member agrees to pay a contribution each calendar year. The amount and due date of the annual contribution are determined by the General Assembly of Members. The membership contribution rules provide greater detail regarding this. 

§ 4 Termination of membership 

1. Membership may be terminated through voluntary withdrawal, expulsion or death. 
2. Termination of membership is subject to a written declaration presented to the Executive Board before the end of a financial year. 
3. The General Assembly of Members, acting on the recommendation of the Executive Board, may exclude a member from the Association at any time and with immediate effect should the member act in a deliberate manner counter to the Association’s interests, or if any other compelling reasons for exclusion exist. 

§ 5 Bodies of the Association 

The Association’s bodies include the General Assembly of Members, the Executive Board and the Extended Board.

§ 6 Executive Board 

1. As per Section 26 of the German Civil Code, the Executive Board shall consist of the chairperson and the vice-chairperson, the treasurer, the secretary, the Assessor and ex officio, the director of the Museum for Islamic Art.
2. The Executive Board members (with the exception of the ex officio member) shall be elected by the General Assembly of Members for a term of two years. They shall remain in office until the next Executive Board is voted in. 
3. The Association shall be represented to the public by two members of the Executive Board. 
4. The Executive Board is responsible for:
   1. Managing current business 
   2. Carrying out the resolutions made by the General Assembly of Members 
   3. Managing the Association’s assets 
   4. Drawing up a budget for each financial year 
   5. Bookkeeping and accounting 
   6. Compiling an annual report 
   7. Preparing for and convening the General Assembly of Members 
5. The Executive Committee manages the Association’s business on a pro bono basis. 

§ 7 The General Assembly of Members, its responsibilities, convocation 

1. The General Assembly of Members is responsible for:
   1. Electing and dismissing the Executive Board members
   2. Selecting the auditors 
   3. Approving the budget drawn up by the Executive Board for the following financial year 
   4. Signing off on the annual report and discharging the Executive Board 
   5. Establishing the amount and due date of the annual contribution 
   6. Passing resolutions related to changes in the articles of association and the dissolution of the Association 
2. All members of the Association are entitled to participate in the General Assembly of Members. The regular General Assembly of Members will be held at least once a year. It will be convened via a written invitation of the Executive Board at least four weeks in advance. The invitation shall include an agenda and a description of items to be voted on. The General Assembly shall be held either in person or virtually (online procedure) in a digital room accessible only to members with their credentials and a separate access word. The Executive Board shall decide on the form of the General Assembly and shall communicate this in the invitation.
3. Resolutions of the General Assembly shall be passed by a show of hands (real) or in writing (online) with a simple majority. Upon request, voting shall be by secret ballot. Changes to the articles of association require a three-fourth’s majority of the votes cast. The Association may only be dissolved with a four-fifth’s majority vote.
4. The secretary shall keep minutes of the proceedings and the resolutions adopted during the General Assembly of Members. The minutes must be signed by the secretary and the meeting chairperson. 

§ 8 The Extended Board 

1. The Extended Board may consist of up to 5 persons appointed by the Board. 
2. Members of the Extended Board may participate in the meetings of the Executive Board – without any voting rights – and, if requested, shall speak about items on the agenda.
3. Members of the Extended Board carry out their functions on a voluntary basis and are not entitled to any compensation for their activity. 

§ 9 Audit 

1. The financial year is the calendar year. 
2. The General Assembly of Members shall select two auditors who are not members of the Executive Board for a term of two years. These auditors shall review the mathematical accuracy of bookkeeping and cash management at the end of each financial year. The auditors shall submit a report to the next regular General Assembly of Members.

§ 10 Extraordinary General Assembly of Members 

An extraordinary General Assembly of Members may be convened should it be deemed essential to carrying out the Association’s interests, or when it is called by at least one-tenth of the members submitting a written request to an Executive Board member and stating their reasons for doing so. In cases of urgency, changes to the articles of association may also be decided upon during an extraordinary session of the General Assembly of Members.

§ 11 Dissolution of the Association, liquidators 

1. In the event of the dissolution of the Association, or if the tax-advantaged status is to be discontinued, the Association’s assets shall be transferred to the Museum of Islamic Art, Berlin (donation account), to be used directly and exclusively for tax-privileged purposes. 
2. The chairperson and the treasurer shall be appointed as liquidators. 

Approved by the General Assembly of Members in Berlin on November 9, 2021

Registration date: April 20, 2022