Organisation and committees

Association for Municipal Research

Difu is a non-profit limited company under German law with its head office in Berlin. Its sole shareholder is the Association for Municipal Research (Verein für Kommunalwissenschaften, VfK). Its members are nominated by the Association of German Cities and the State of Berlin. read more

Academic advisory board

The academic advisory board advises the management and the shareholders’ meetings on specialist and strategical matters. The advisory board has 20 members. They include representatives from academia, practice, various German ministries and the State of Berlin. read more

Organisation of Difu

Difu is organised into four research departments and three service departments.

Organisation chart (PDF, 104 kB)

Institute management

Difu is represented by two directors together with an authorised representative. The management is appointed to and relieved from office by the shareholders’ meeting. The management is appointed for a period of no more than six years. The press and public relations, editorial, sales and customer management departments are part of the institute management.

Prof. Dr. Carsten Kühl

Director of Research and Managing Director

Dipl.-Geogr. Luise Adrian

Commercial Director

Dr. Jens Libbe 

Head of Department, Authorised Officer, Member of the Institute Management 

Dipl.-Geogr. Ulrike Wolf

Head of Department, Authorised Officer, Member of the Institute Management