The Foundation is established through a foundation deed on May 23, 2011 (deed no. 61/2011 of notary Michael K. Marxen, Hanseatic City of Lübeck).

State recognition is then granted by the Ministry of the Interior of the State of Schleswig-Holstein on July 25, 2011.

The purpose of the Foundation according to § 2 of the statutes is:

1. The purpose of the Foundation is to promote art, the preservation of local history, the preservation of historical monuments and the idea of international understanding.
2. This purpose is realized in particular by the collection, research, preservation, and mediation of Gdańsk and East German cultural assets as well as the cultural heritage of the Hanseatic League in the “Museum HAUS HANSESTADT DANZIG”, as well as by the archiving of documentary, scientific documents and the collected art objects. The museum is to be kept accessible to the public as a cultural and documentation center.
3. Management and preservation of the listed HAUS HANSESTADT DANZIG, Engelsgrube 66, 23552 Lübeck.

The organs of the Foundation are the Foundation Board and the Foundation Council. In addition, there is a Board of Trustees as a purely advisory body.