The villa located at Seefeldquai 17 in Zurich was built in 1913 as the residence of a Zurich engineer and politician. In the early 1980s, Klaus J. Jacobs purchased the building and opened the Johann Jacobs Museum, which was often referred to as the “Coffee Museum”. The Jacobs Foundation, established in the late 1980s, now owns Jacobs Haus, since Klaus J. Jacobs and his family transferred to the Foundation the rights to the Adecco and Barry Callebaut companies, which are held by Jacobs Holding AG.
In 2011, the well-known architectural firm Miller & Maranta was commissioned to renovate the villa as a venue for public events. At that time the Jacobs Foundation also adopted a groundbreaking new concept for the Johann Jacobs Museum, and internationally recognized curator Roger Martin Buergel agreed to serve as the museum’s director.
The Jacobs Foundation and the Johann Jacobs Museum
Since its opening in 1984, the Johann Jacobs Museum at Seefeldquai has presented temporary exhibitions of works from the collection of entrepreneur Klaus J. Jacobs, who died in 2008. The collection includes graphic arts, paintings, porcelain and silver, as well as a library of over 5,000 works on the history of coffee – ranging from accounts written by early travelers and original graphics from the 16th century to contemporary popular and scientific literature. A few of these materials are still part of the Jacobs Haus library. After limiting its initial focus to the history of coffee in Europe, beginning in the fall of 2013 the museum will include a wide range of materials illustrating the complex history of international trade.
Established in 1989 by Klaus J. Jacobs and his family, the Jacobs Foundation is dedicated to promoting innovation in the field of child and youth development. The Foundation’s activities are devoted to improving the living conditions of young people by recognizing and supporting their potential and helping them acquire and develop the skills they need for the job market, so that they can become responsible members of society. To that end, it promotes innovation in research and practice, combining scientific insights with practical applications. With total assets of approximately 3.5 billion Swiss francs, the Jacobs Foundation is one of the world’s preeminent foundations in the sphere of child and youth development. Over a period of nearly a quarter century, the Foundation has worked to become a global leader in this field, investing some 500 million francs in research and practice-oriented projects.
A place in Zurich for public dialogue on important issues of child and youth development: The Johann Jacobs Museum is devoted to exploring these topics with its visitors.
At Jacobs Haus, the Jacobs Foundation offers a wide range of events and activities aimed at promoting dialogue on issues of child and youth development, thereby also helping to ensure the long-term effectiveness of the programs funded by the Foundation. Accessible information on the results of the Foundation’s research and practice-oriented projects and their impact on individuals and society is presented and discussed at forums, lectures and workshops. These events are intended not only for experts from the policy, business and academic spheres, but also for members of the interested public.
“Jacobs Haus is meant to serve as a center for creative learning and stimulating discourse in Zurich – a place where issues of interest to the Jacobs Foundation and the Johann Jacobs Museum can be discussed for the benefit of all,” says Dr. Johann Christian Jacobs, chairman of the Foundation’s Board of Trustees.
From the perspective of the Foundation, this means bringing together individuals involved in national and international programs for expert talks, workshops and “fireside chats” dedicated to discussions of urgent issues of child and youth development. These events yield ideas that find their way into projects and institutions, where they can have a profound impact.
From the perspective of the museum, it is an opportunity to reach out to young people by offering them a unique place where they can freely share their views on globalization and its effects on human beings and society. This is a very different approach from the display cases traditionally found in museums, where visitors are offered a single perspective on the topic at hand.
With internationally recognized curator Roger M. Buergel as its director, the Johann Jacobs Museum is breaking new ground.
The museum’s new director, Roger Martin Buergel (born in 1962), is an experienced and internationally recognized curator. Buergel, who studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna and was later private secretary to the painter and performance artist Hermann Nitsch, was appointed artistic director of documenta 12 in 2007. He also served as the artistic director of South Korea’s Busan Biennale in 2012.
“What is new about the Johann Jacobs Museum is that instead of taking a top-down approach, we work with various groups, with a range of experiences and interests, to organize our exhibitions on the history of global trade,” explains Roger M. Buergel. “These groups might include young people who want to know where the rare earth minerals in their smartphones come from; older people who may notice occasional gaps in their knowledge of European history; or immigrants or emigrants who – voluntarily or not – have traveled along the world’s trade routes.”
The Jacobs Haus
Official opening:
September 7, 2013, during the Museums at Night (lange Nacht der Museen) event
Opening hours of the Johann Jacobs Museum:
Tuesdays from 6 to 11 p.m.,
Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
To contact the museum:
office@johannjacobs.com
T +41 44 388 6190
www.johannjacobs.com
To contact the Jacobs Foundation:
jf@jacobsfoundation.org
T +41 44 388 6123
www.jacobsfoundation.org
Directions to Jacobs Haus:
By public transportation: Tram No. 2 or 4, Feldeggstrasse stop.
Visitor parking is not available on the museum grounds.