Following the Bachfest on the occasion of the 250th anniversary of Johann Sebastian Bach’s death on 28th July 2000, St. Thomas Church, St. Thomas Boys Choir, Bach Archive Leipzig and the sponsoring association Thomaskirche-Bach as well as the City of Leipzig formed a community of interests. The urgent objective to secure permanent funding for the yearly Bachfest Leipzig led to the idea of establishing a capital foundation. Thus in 2001, the Chorherren Foundation of St. Thomas’s was established. By now, 42 Honorary Fellows are members of the Convent of the foundation. For many years, the Chorherren Foundation of St. Thomas’s has used its proceeds to facilitate church music performed by excellent ensembles and soloists in the masses, motets and services during the Bachfest.
Furthermore, the foundation acquired and renovated the villa thomana on Sebastian-Bach-Straße 3 and thereby laid the groundwork for the education campus forum thomanum. The foundation supports the activities of the forum thomanum on a yearly basis. During the Covid crisis, the foundation funded the payment for self-employed musicians performing in services, motets and concerts. The Chorherren Foundation of St. Thomas’s is one of the most successful foundations in the city of Leipzig.