Hedwig and Robert Samuel Foundation

The Hedwig and Robert Samuel Foundation (German: Hedwig und Robert Samuel-Stiftung) is a non-profit foundation under private law headquartered in Düsseldorf, Germany. It was established by the will of the Düsseldorf couple Hedwig and Robert Samuel and officially recognised on 3 June 1932 by the Prussian State Ministry. Robert Samuel, a Jewish merchant born in Düsseldorf in 1871 who traded in tobacco products and supplied the Württemberg royal court, designated the so-called Hohenzollernhaus at Königsallee 14 in Düsseldorf as the foundation's capital. That six-storey commercial building, acquired in 1907, still houses the foundation's main office and remains the most important financial basis of its work. The foundation's stated claim is "Give youth a chance". Its focus is the promotion of vocational training for economically disadvantaged adolescents and young adults, predominantly in Central America and South Asia. Since 1993 it has mainly initiated and implemented its own aid projects in vocational education. It currently operates its own vocational training centres in Costa Rica, India and Nicaragua, and has recently established branches in Nepal and Peru that work in partnership with existing state-run professional training centres. The foundation's training approach is holistic: technical skill training is supplemented by general education subjects including a foreign language, as well as comprehensive personality training. At the end of their technical education, students complete an apprenticeship period, and the foundation actively places graduates in qualified employment through a large cooperation network. The foundation was largely dormant as an operating entity until 1976, when the testamentary life interest ended with the death of Hedwig Samuel. From 1977 to 1986 it acted as a supporting foundation funding social projects in Düsseldorf and the surrounding area. In the mid-1980s it extended its help abroad, moving from donations to other development organisations toward direct, operational projects. It opened foreign representations in Costa Rica (1987), Nicaragua (1989–2024), India (1993) and Thailand (2002–2017). In Germany it is a co-founder and co-shareholder of KiD gGmbH, a residential specialist facility for abused children in Düsseldorf. Financing comes about 90% from asset management and about 10% from project revenues; asset management generates income through rental and capital income from foundation-owned real estate. Annual income in 2023 was around 2.8 million euros and expenditure around 1.8 million euros, of which roughly 75% went to project funding. The foundation has around 59 employees worldwide. Its head office team in Germany is led by Martin Barth as President of the Board and Managing Director, with country directors heading the branch offices in Costa Rica, India, Nepal and Peru.

The Hedwig and Robert Samuel Foundation traces its origins to the Düsseldorf couple Robert and Hedwig Samuel. Robert Samuel, born in Düsseldorf in 1871, was a Jewish merchant active in the import and trade of tobacco products and supplied, among others, the Württemberg royal court. In 1927 he stipulated by will the creation of the foundation; after the death of the childless couple, the foundation was to serve charitable purposes. As its financial base, Robert Samuel contributed the so-called Hohenzollernhaus in Düsseldorf. After Robert Samuel's death in January 1931, the foundation was officially recognised on 3 June 1932 through approval by the Prussian State Ministry (the Prussian justice ministry), completing the last necessary formal act. Its executors, three Jewish merchant friends of Robert Samuel, initiated the founding process and formed the first board, but had to resign from office at the end of the 1930s due to National Socialist pressure. The Samuels designated the office and commercial building at Königsallee 14 in Düsseldorf, the Hohenzollernhaus, as the foundation's capital; it has served this purpose to this day and hosts the foundation's main office. During the Third Reich, various Nazi organisations attempted unsuccessfully to gain access to the so-called Jewish capital. The building, already enormously valuable, did not fall victim to their covetousness because the organisations blocked each other in their attempts to annex the property, and because the foundation's purpose had no reference to Jewish beneficiaries. In 1942 the Hohenzollernhaus was hit by incendiary bombs during an air strike and the attic was destroyed, but the basic structure remained intact. With the end of the testamentary life interest, the foundation became active in 1976 after the death of co-founder Hedwig Samuel, who died at the age of 82. The funds flowing to the foundation from 1976 as asset income were initially needed predominantly for the urgently necessary renovation of the Hohenzollernhaus on Königsallee, which had suffered severe damage from a firebomb in 1942. After completing substance-preservation measures and building its own infrastructure, the foundation was able to fund larger projects. At that time it operated as a pure supporting foundation, mainly supporting social projects in Düsseldorf and the surrounding area (1977 to 1986). In the mid-1980s the Samuel Foundation extended its help for the socially needy abroad for the first time. Driven by the increasingly visible poverty in the countries of the Global South, it expanded its geographical radius of action. Initial donations to other development aid organisations were followed by direct aid. The foundation shifted its funding focus toward operational projects, so that in a relatively short time foreign representations were established in Costa Rica (1987), Nicaragua (1989–2024), India (1993) and Thailand (2002–2017). Since 1993 the foundation has primarily initiated and realised its own aid projects for vocational training. Today the foundation maintains its own vocational training centres in Costa Rica, India and Nicaragua, and its recently established branches in Nepal and Peru work in partnership with existing state-run professional training centres. In Germany it is a founder and co-shareholder of KiD gGmbH, a residential specialist facility for abused children in Düsseldorf. Financing comes about 90% from asset management and about 10% from project revenues; asset management generates income through rental and capital income from foundation-owned real estate. Annual income in 2023 was around 2.8 million euros and expenditure around 1.8 million euros, of which roughly 75% went to project funding, 16% to project accompaniment, 4% to administration, 4% to public relations and fundraising, and 1% to currency conversion, interest and depreciation. The foundation has around 59 employees worldwide.

• 2024

  End of activities in Nicaragua in June; branches in Nepal and Peru work in partnership with state-run training centres.

• 2023

  Annual income of around 2.8 million euros and expenditure of around 1.8 million euros.

• 2002

  Establishment of a foreign representation in Thailand (until 2017).

• 1993

  Establishment of a foreign representation in India; the foundation begins initiating and realising its own vocational training aid projects.

• 1989

  Establishment of a foreign representation in Nicaragua (until 2024).

• 1987

  Establishment of a foreign representation in Costa Rica.

• 1977

  Start of activities as a supporting foundation funding social projects in Düsseldorf (until 1986).

• 1976

  Death of co-founder Hedwig Samuel at the age of 82; the foundation becomes active as the testamentary life interest ends.

• 1942

  The Hohenzollernhaus is damaged by incendiary bombs during an air strike; the attic is destroyed.

• 1932

  Official establishment of the foundation on 3 June, approved by the Prussian State Ministry.

• 1931

  Death of Robert Samuel in January; his three Jewish merchant friends initiate the founding process.

• 1927

  Robert Samuel stipulates the creation of the foundation by will.

A non-profit foundation focused on giving economically disadvantaged youth a chance through high-quality technical education and holistic personality training, financed largely by its own real-estate assets.

• Vocational training centres in Costa Rica, India and Nicaragua

  Own centres providing high-quality technical education in close cooperation with authorities and companies.

• Partnership-based training branches in Nepal and Peru

  Recently established branches working in partnership with existing state-run professional training centres.

• Holistic training programme

  Technical skill training supplemented by general education subjects including a foreign language, plus comprehensive personality training.

• Apprenticeship and job placement

  Students test their knowledge during an apprenticeship period, and the foundation actively places graduates in qualified employment.

• KiD gGmbH

  A residential specialist facility for abused children in Düsseldorf, co-founded and co-owned by the foundation.

1. 1Homesamuel.de
2. 2Our Historysamuel.de
3. 3Our Teamsamuel.de
4. 4Hedwig and Robert Samuel Foundationwikidata.org
5. 5Hedwig und Robert Samuel-Stiftungde.wikipedia.org