press release

Hans Imhoff – A life dedicated to chocolate
The founder of the Chocolate Museum and a Rhineland entrepreneur with heart

Hans Imhoff was more than just an entrepreneur – he was a visionary, a doer and, above all, a chocolate lover through and through. Born in 1922 in Fleischmengergasse in the heart of Cologne, just a stone's throw from Neumarkt, he grew up in modest circumstances as the son of a master locksmith. Even as a child, the sweet smell of the nearby Stollwerck factory was in the air – and ignited his love of chocolate at an early age. But because his family often couldn't afford the treat, he usually had only one option in his younger years: "to smell it to my heart's content," as he later recounted.

This childhood experience was the initial spark for an extraordinary entrepreneurial career in post-war Germany.

From food wholesaler to chocolate manufacturer
After World War II, Imhoff received permission from the French occupying forces to open a food wholesale business on the Moselle. But it was chocolate that he couldn't get out of his mind. In 1948, he founded his first chocolate factory in Bullay – the beginning of an empire. By 1958, he was already employing around 400 people.

In 1972, he took what was probably the most significant step of his career: the takeover of the traditional but economically stricken Stollwerck factory in Cologne. With entrepreneurial skill and unwavering passion, Imhoff restructured the company and expanded it by acquiring well-known brands, including Eszet (1975), Sprengel (1979), and Sarotti (1998). In 2002, he finally handed over his shares to the Swiss chocolate giant Barry Callebaut. However, the Chocolate Museum remained in family hands – and thus became a lasting legacy.

A man who shaped Cologne
Hans Imhoff was an entrepreneur with a keen sense for people, markets, and his city. He received numerous honors for his life's work and commitment:
• 1991: Federal Cross of Merit, First
Class• 1994: Order of Merit of the State
of North Rhine-Westphalia• 1995: Honorary doctorate from the University of Cologne•
1997: Grand Cross of Merit of the Federal Republic of
Germany• 2001: Honorary citizenship of the city of Cologne

A lasting legacy
Hans Imhoff died on December 21, 2007, at the age of 85. He was buried in Cologne's Melaten Cemetery. Until the end, he remained closely connected to the museum, his city, and his family. He was married to Gerburg Klara Imhoff in his second marriage. Hans Imhoff had four children.

His life shows that with passion, perseverance, and an idea as sweet as chocolate, you can achieve great things.

Press contact:
Klaus H. Schopen
Marketing & Communication
schopen@schokoladenmuseum.de
0221 / 931 888-13