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Department of Social Sciences
Studierende sitzt am Arbeitsplatz und schaut auf den Laptop. © Aliona Kardash​/​TU Dortmund

How wealth is created and passed on - final event of a research project by TU Dortmund University and SOFI Göttingen

Das Bild zeigt eine Collage aus einem Bild des Teams, einer Szene der Podiumsdiskussion und ein Bild eines Stehtisches mit Projektflyern und goldenen Schokoladenmünzen, die eine Verbindung zum Thema der Tagung herstellen © Neumann, Kadelke ​/​ TU Dortmund
How is wealth created - and how is it passed on within families? These questions were the focus of a joint research project by TU Dortmund University and the Sociological Research Institute Göttingen (SOFI), funded by the Volkswagen Foundation. The project team presented key findings and discussed the social responsibility of wealthy individuals with guests.

Poverty has been the subject of intensive research for decades - but sociology still knows surprisingly little about wealth. How does it come about? And how is it passed on within families? These questions were the focus of a joint research project by TU Dortmund University and the Sociological Research Institute Göttingen (SOFI), funded by the Volkswagen Foundation. At the end of the project on February 5, 2026, researchers presented key findings and discussed their social significance.

The project made it clear that wealth is closely linked to family relationships - even far into the future - and that 'being rich' is by no means as homogeneous as one might assume, i.e. it is not only aimed at the musks of this world.

In a panel discussion on the social responsibility of the wealthy, academic perspectives - represented by Prof. Dr. Peter Imbusch (University of Wuppertal) and Prof. Dr. Heiko Kleve (University of Witten/Herdecke) - as well as voices from the business world had their say: Victoria Köcher (Deutsche Bank) reported from the perspective of asset management, while entrepreneur Peter Reese ("Tax Me Now") contributed a civil society perspective. This was also emphasized here: Society, business and politics need to be considered together for a comprehensive view of wealth.

Further information on the project can be found at: https: //su.sowi.tu-dortmund.de/forschung/forschungsprojekte/volkswagenstiftung-projekt-reichtum-als-soziale-beziehung/