Bremen Senate bestows Gold Medal of Honour on Klaus J. Jacobs

Upon recommendation from Mayor Jens Böhrnsen, the Bremen Senate today bestowed Klaus Jacobs with the Bremen Gold Medal of Honour. The medal is in recognition of the many years of service Mr Jacobs has given the state of Bremen.

[ Oct 23, 2007]  "Klaus Jacobs is an example of how wonderfully success in business can be combined with social engagement." said Mayor Böhrnsen.

The Bremen born Jacobs took over the family business Jacobs AG in 1962. in 1972 he became the major shareholder. In 1982 Jacobs AG fused with Interfood to form Jacobs Suchard AG; which was sold in 1990 to Phillip Morris and was renamed Kraft Jacobs Suchard. In 1995 Klaus Jacobs became the President of Addecco SA.

In addition to his business ventures, Klaus Jacobs founded the Jacobs Foundation (1985) for the develpment and sponsorship of young people around the world. In 2003 the Jacobs Center on Lifelong Learning and Institutional Development was founded at Jacobs University (then IUB).

Since 2004 the Jacobs Foundation has supported the Jacobs Foundation for Bremen Children with summer language camps for immigrant children with a deficit in the German language.

In 2006 Klaus Jacobs donated 200 million euro to the then International University Bremen. In 2007 IUB was renamed Jacobs University Bremen.

The Bremen Gold Medal of Honour was first bestowed in 1854 by then Mayor Johann Smidt.