The Freies Deutsches Hochstift is one of the oldest cultural institutes in Germany and a non-profit research institution. It is the sponsor of the Goethe-Haus in Frankfurt, the Deutsches Romantik-Museum, the operator of the Brentano-Haus (here jointly with the city of Oestrich-Winkel) and has art collections, a manuscript collection and a research library. Its research work focusses on the Goethe era and literary Romanticism. The historical-critical edition of Clemens Brentano is currently being finalised. The Hochstift is also involved in major academy projects on Goethe's letters and diaries as well as Robert Schumann's ‘Poetische Welt’.
The Freies Deutsches Hochstift is funded in equal parts by the Federal Republic of Germany, the State of Hesse and the City of Frankfurt am Main.