The Wissenschaftskolleg was founded as a private institution free of direct state influence, in the form of an association. Members of the association include the presidents or directors of the major research organizations of the Federal Republic of Germany, the Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz (Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation), and the Berlin universities. They set the guidelines for work and make the long-term personnel decisions. The leadership of the Wissenschaftskolleg is in the rector's hands.
In scholarly and scientific matters, particularly in the appointment of Fellows, the rector is advised by an international scientific advisory board. In his scholarly leadership of the institute, longer-term research members (Permanent Fellows) assist him; the secretary and his staff help him in administration.
Succeeding the Founding Rector Peter Wapnewski, Wolf Lepenies, Professor of sociology and historian of science, was Rector of the Wissenschaftskolleg from 1986 to 2001. Holding this office from October 2001 until March 2007 was Dieter Grimm, Professor of Public Law at the Humboldt University Berlin and former Justice on the Federal Constitutional Court. The current Rector of the Wissenschaftskolleg is Luca Giuliani, Professor of Classical Archeology at the Humboldt University Berlin.
- Peter Wapnewski 1981-1986
- Wolf Lepenies 1986-2001
- Dieter Grimm 2001-2007
- Luca Giuliani
since 2007