Hedwig and Robert Samuel Foundation - Activities in Germany

Activities in Germany

Most of the funds that the Samuel Foundation received from the second half of the 1970s on, in the form of investment income, were initially spent on urgently needed renovation and roof construction work on its own business premises in Königsallee. Accordingly, meeting the objectives of the Foundation had to be postponed for a time. However, even during this phase, smaller donations were made to assist social welfare projects, mostly in Düsseldorf. Later, when work on safeguarding the value of the assets had been completed and a separate infrastructure was beginning to develop, the Samuel Foundation was finally in a position to sponsor larger projects as well.

Early on, the Foundation established contacts with the Düsseldorf Academy of Art (Kunstakademie Düsseldorf), and assisted art students from low-income families by organising competitions and exhibitions, and awarding individual scholarships. In doing so, the Foundation was following in the footsteps of its founder, Robert Samuel, who himself had assisted artists by providing them with studios in the Königsallee building.

When in 1992 the idea to set up an inpatient specialised facility for children who had experienced violence, maltreatment and abuse came about, the Samuel Foundation became actively involved in setting up this facility. Today, the Samuel Foundation, together with two other support organisations, makes up the partners of the KiD gGmbH.