The Jacobs Haus

Built in 1913 in the style of a Bernese country estate, Jacobs Haus
is home to the Jacobs Foundation and the Johann Jacobs Museum.

In 1984, Klaus J. Jacobs opened the Jacobs Suchard Museum at that site. It documented the history of the Jacobs coffee empire, founded in Bremen in 1895 under the name “Specialgeschäft in Caffee, Thee, Cacao, Chocoladen und Biscuits.”

The Jacobs Foundation was established at Jacobs Haus in 1989, with the mission of providing children and youth with opportunities for positive development, enabling them to become productive and responsible members of society.

Jacobs Suchard was sold to Philip Morris in 1990, and the museum’s holdings were transferred to the Jacobs Foundation. The museum was renamed the Johann Jacobs Museum in honor of the company’s founder.

In 2013, after two years of renovations by the architectural firm of Miller & Maranta, the Jacobs Haus opened its doors as a lively place for creative learning and dialogue. At that time the museum also shifted its focus, and until 2021, it shed light on the complex history of global trade routes.

In 2023, the Jacobs Foundation are launching the Digital Museum of Learning, a global virtual network of museums that focus on learning and education. The initiative will build and maintain the infrastructure to amalgamate global perspectives, historic and current, on learning and education. Artistic representation of learning themes will be a key focus.

Related Publications

Annual Report 2022

The Annual Reports provide a comprehensive overview of the Jacobs Foundation’s activities, institution, and finances.

Formative Assessment Spotlight – Improving Learning for Every Child

The Jacobs Foundation and Finnish education organization HundrED have released a new report highlighting 14 formative assessment solutions that support teaching and learning.

Annual Report 2021

The Annual Reports provide a comprehensive overview of the Jacobs Foundation’s activities, institution, and finances.

Advocacy

CEPS study on the socio-political work of nonprofit organizations and grantmaking foundations.

Transforming social policy, education, and children’s lives

The Jacobs Foundation program Transforming Education in Cocoa Communities (TRECC) published a report today, documenting work over the last five years to improve the living conditions of farmers and their children in Côte d’Ivoire.

OECD Survey on Social and Emotional Skills

The OECD Survey on Social and Emotional Skills survey identifies and assesses the conditions and practices that foster or hinder the development of social and emotional skills for 10- and 15-year-old students from around the world.