Hedwig and Robert Samuel Foundation History
Official establishment of the foundation
June 3, 1932 is the official birthday of the Hedwig and Robert Samuel Foundation. On this day, the Prussian State Ministry approved the establishment of the foundation on the basis of the submitted founding deed and foundation statutes, thereby completing the last necessary formal act. Hedwig and Robert Samuel had stipulated the establishment of the foundation in their will. Its executors, three Jewish merchants friends of Robert Samuel, initiated the founding process after his death in 1931. The three friends also formed the first board of the foundation, 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 so-called Hohenzollernhaus, as the foundation's capital. The building has served this purpose to this day and hosts the foundation's main office as well.
Damage to the Hohenzollern House after air strike
The Königsallee 14 office and commercial building was hit by incendiary bombs and the attic was destroyed. However, the basic structure of the building remained intact.
Activities as a supporting foundation funding projects in Düsseldorf
During this period, the foundation mainly supported social projects in Düsseldorf/Germany; among other endeavours, donations were made for improvement measures in the elderly homes in the Gallberg and Flehe districts of the city.
Renovation of the office and commercial building Königsallee 14
In the first years of the foundation's charitable activities, a large part of its income was needed for capital accumulation and the necessary, extensive renovation of the building, including the reconstruction of the attics destroyed during the war. Since the completion of this measures, the rental income from the Hohenzollernhaus has been the Samuel Foundation's most important source of income to this day.
Foundation of the Asociación Hedwig and Robert Samuel San José/ Costa Rica
This year marked the beginning of the foundation's direct international commitment. As its first project, the foundation supported a health centre as well as an elderly facility in San Isidro and a school in Pérez Zeledón/Costa Rica.
Support to a street children project of the Dominicans in San Salvador/El Salvador
The foundation supported the pre-school and primary school education of children living in a rubbish dump colony.
Construction of two children's homes in San Isidro del General/Costa Rica
The foundation built two houses for abandoned and abused children and adolescents. Until 2019, the "Albergues" were run jointly with the Costa Rican child protection agency (PANI). At the beginning of 2019, PANI took over the entire management of both homes.
Construction of a residential and commercial building in Düsseldorf
In the Düsseldorf district of Wersten, the foundation built a residential and commercial building with 25 above-average social housing units as a contribution to better housing for the socially needy and included the building in its portfolio.
Transport of humanitarian aid supplies to Romania
Co-foundation of the non-profit organisation Kind in Düsseldorf GmbH (KiD)
Together with two other non-profit organisations, the foundation established the inpatient specialised facility for children victims of violence and abuse "KiD" in Düsseldorf. The three partners also set up a child protection outpatient clinic, which they have run together very successfully ever since.
Construction and opening of a hospital in Ebenebe/Nigeria
Support project in Lomas de Cocorí in San José/Costa Rica
The foundation financed the renovation and expansion of the Lomas de Cocorí school.
Construction and opening of a training centre in Managua/Nicaragua
The first foundation-owned Centre for Technical Education was opened.
Support project for the infirmary El Tepeyac in Granada/Nicaragua
The foundation financially supported the renovation of the "El Tepeyac" health post with its own funds and restored the water supply to three neighbouring communities with funding from the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. The foundation repeatedly supported the health post over a period of 20 years.
Expansion of the hospital in Ebenebe/Nigeria
The foundation's own hospital in Ebenebe was extended by a new wing and the addition of a nurses' school. By 2002, the hospital was completely handed over to the local partners.
Opening of two further centres in New Delhi/India
The focus of the foundation in New Delhi was placed on technical education for the textile industry. The training took place in the two centres located in Raghubir Nagar and Paharganj respectively.
Support project: funding for training facilities in Havana/Cuba
Over a period of ten years, the foundation supported a lifeguard school, a training centre for crafts and technical courses, and a training facility for young people from the most vulnerable sections of the population with targeted infrastructure measures.
Construction of the foundation's own Centre for Technical Education in San José, Costa Rica
The Centre for Technical Education changed locations. From this moment on, training in San José was carried out in the newly built foundation-owned centre, its second in Central America.
Support project: expansion of the primary school El Divino Salvador in Bello Amanecer/Nicaragua
The foundation carried out the expansion of a primary school in Bello Amanecer, west of Managua, with funding from the German Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development.
Opening of a foundation office in Lampang Province/Thailand
In the foundation's Thai branch, children and young people were supported in their schooling and vocational education in a variety of ways. In the course of the project activities, the foundation office was relocated to Chiang Mai.
Renovation and expansion of the Centre for Technical Education in San José/Costa Rica
Renovation and expansion of the Centre for Technical Education in Managua/Nicaragua
Support project Café Eden in Düsseldorf
The foundation supported the "Café Eden" project initiated by the Schauspielhaus Düsseldorf (Düsseldorf Playhouse) to integrate refugees into our society. "Café Eden" serves as a meeting point and a place for German language instruction for refugees. The multicultural play "Germany. A Winter's Tale." freely adapted from Heinrich Heine, was part of the cooperation with the Düsseldorf Schauspielhaus.
Construction of the office building 100 Calle Blancos in San José/Costa Rica
The office and commercial building "100 Calle Blancos" was built on a portion of the area where our Centre for Technical Education in San José is located. It will serve to finance current and future projects in the region as well as to improve the foundation's capital income situation.
Support projekt: Help for victims of violence in San José/Costa Rica
The foundation supported a project for the rehabilitation of women affected by sexual violence. The project was co-financed with funds from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development's (BMZ) Development Cooperation Small Projects Fund.
Shutdown of our Centre in Nicaragua
The foundation's branch in Managua was illegally shut down by the Nicaraguan government and all of the foundation's assets were confiscated.