Grand Opening Events for Newly Renovated Ancestral Home of Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps in Laupheim, Germany: May 28 and 29, 2024

Mayor and Community Leaders of Laupheim Welcome Family Leadership of Global Soap Brand for Grand Opening of “Bronner Haus & Dr. Bronner’s Museum”

LAUPHEIM, GERMANY – Local leaders and residents of Laupheim Germany will welcome the leadership of the top-selling, family run, natural brand of soap in the United States and an iconic brand worldwide, Dr. Bronner’s, and members of the Bronner family to celebrate the opening of the “Bronner Haus & Dr. Bronner’s Museum” in Laupheim. Organizers Anke Buhl and Michael Schick will bring the Bronner family together with essential partners in the house and museum project, as well as key brand allies and business partners, along with officials from the city, including the Mayor of Laupheim, to mark the opening of the Bronner Haus, an ancestral home of the Bronner family, and the place where the family business of soap making began in 1858.

On May 28 and 29, two events will provide guests, including the media and the public the opportunity to learn about Dr. Bronner’s history in Germany and the company’s mission while celebrating this momentous occasion. An opening celebration and ribbon-cutting for invited guests and press will be held on Tuesday, May 28, and a public event with presentations and a community reception will be held on Wednesday, May 29.

The Bronner Haus building was purchased in 2017 by Dr. Bronner’s when company president, Michael Bronner was visiting Laupheim for a speaking event. In a chance encounter at the event, he met the owner of the home, who was so moved upon hearing about the history of the home that she offered to sell it back to the family. Michael and his brother David then began working with local partners to envision a future for their ancestral home. The renovation process began in 2022 and involved raising the ceilings and adding 2.1 meters of space to the house. A beautifully designed glass façade was also added to the building, which has been imprinted with key messages representative of the Dr. Bronner’s brand and company mission.

In addition to the Bronner Haus serving as Dr. Bronner’s official business address in Europe, the Bronner Haus will also host St. Elizabeth Foundation’s “Wohngemeinschaft Emanuel”, a residential home for adults with special needs. Further, a Dr. Bronner’s Museum will be located in the basement of the home, where the Bronner family originally began producing soap.

 

What:

Invite-Only Opening Celebration for Bronner Haus & Dr. Bronner’s Museum in Laupheim

Ribbon-Cutting, Presentations, Reception, Museum Tours

*Photo Opportunity*

Schedule for Day of Events:

  • At VHS 
    • 1:00-2:00 p.m. – Arrival & Reception: Drinks & snacks.
    • 2:00-3:30 p.m. – Speeches and presentations by Dr. Bronner’s leadership, local officials, and project partners.
    • 3:30-3:45 p.m. – Walk to the Bronner Haus (estimated 7 minutes) (Shuttles will be provided for those who need it.)
  • At Bronner Haus
    • 4:00-6:00 p.m.
      • Ribbon cutting and official opening of the Dr. Bronner’s Museum
      • Reception in front of Bronner Haus
      • Tours of the Dr. Bronner’s Museum for press and guests
    • 9:10 p.m. (Sunset)
      • First illumination of “All-One” letters on front of building.

Who:

  • For Press and Guests by Invitation Only

When:

Tuesday, May 28 from 1:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Where:

  • VHS 

König-Wilhelm-Straße 35, 88471 Laupheim, Germany

  • Bronner Haus

Judenberg 2, 88471 Laupheim, Germany

 

MEDIA R.S.V.P.

Members of the media who wish to attend the invite-only event can RSVP by contacting Anke Buhl at anke@drbronner.eu.

 

OTHER EVENTS

A free event for the public and local community will be held at 7:00 pm.- 9:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 29. For more information on the public event on May 29 at VHS (see address above) please go to: https://drbronner.de/blogs/all-one/dr-bronner-zurueck-in-laupheim.

 

AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEW

Members of the Bronner family and Dr. Bronner’s leadership will be available for interview during their visit to Laupheim. To schedule an in person interview with one or more of the following spokespeople on May 28 or 29, please contact Ryan Fletcher at publicaffairs@drbronner.com (English) or Anke Buhl at anke@drbronner.de (German). Leadership is also available for interview by phone or video in advance of their trip.

 

David Bronner is Cosmic Engagement Officer (CEO) of Dr. Bronner’s, the top-selling natural brand of soap in North America and producer of a range of organic body care and food products. Under David’s leadership Dr. Bronner’s holds the status of the highest scoring B Corp in the world among companies dedicated to positive social and environmental impact over the profit motive. The brand has grown from $4 million in 1998 to over $199.5 million in annual net revenue in 2023. David was born in Los Angeles, California in 1973 and earned an undergraduate degree in biology from Harvard University. He is a dedicated vegan and lives in Encinitas, California.

Language: David is fluent in English.

Interview subjects: Company mission, activism, and leadership and company and family history.

 

Michael Bronner is President of Dr. Bronner’s, the top-selling brand of natural soaps in North America and producer of a range of organic body care and food products. Michael led the expansion of Dr. Bronner’s sales overseas, including in Europe and the UK, the Middle East, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Australia, and Singapore, bringing the philosophy that guides Dr. Bronner’s and its ethically driven products to the global marketplace. Under his leadership, South Korea and Japan and other international markets have become significant sales leaders for the company. Michael has also led the company’s efforts to reconnect with its ancestral heritage in Germany, including initiating the Bronner Haus and Dr. Bronner’s museum project. Michael was born in Los Angeles, California in 1975 and now lives in Carlsbad.

Language: Michael is fluent in English.

Interview subjects: International business, Bronner Haus, and company and family history in Germany.

 

Lisa Bronner

Lisa Bronner is Dr. Bronner’s consumer educator and editor of the website and social channels “Going Green with Lisa Bronner” as well as the author of the book “Soap and Soul” published by Countryman Press in 2023. She is granddaughter of Emanuel Bronner, founder of Dr. Bronner’s. Lisa helps many make the transition to a healthier home and lifestyle. she is a vocal proponent for GMO labeling, fair trade, and other issues Dr. Bronner’s supports to bring about social justice and environmental sustainability. As a spokesperson for Dr. Bronner’s, she discusses the brand’s product excellence, progressive business practices, and revolutionary activism around the world. Lisa was born in Los Angeles, California in 1976, and now lives near San Diego, California.

Language: Lisa is fluent in English.

Interview subjects: Dr. Bronner’s products and green cleaning and company and family history.

 

Dr. Gero Leson is Vice President of Special Operations at Dr. Bronner’s, the top-selling brand of natural soaps in North America and producer of a range of organic body care and food products and is the author of Honor Thy Label, published by Portfolio Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House. After joining the company in 2005, he helped it transition to sourcing all its major ingredients directly from certified fair trade and organic projects. Under his leadership, Dr. Bronner’s has become a pioneer in the global movement to establish socially and environmentally responsible supply chains. Leson speaks regularly on business, sustainability, fair trade, and regenerative organic agriculture. He was born in Cologne, Germany and resides in Berkeley, California.

Language: Leson is fluent in English and German.

Interview subjects: Dr. Bronner’s global ethical fair trade and organic supply chain, and company and family history in Germany.

 

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About Dr. Bronner’s

Founded in the U.S. in 1948, Dr. Bronner’s is the top-selling natural brand of soap in North America, maker of exceptional fair trade and organic chocolate sourced to the highest agricultural and labor standards, and a leading mission-driven brand worldwide. The company is an independent, family-owned business based in California, committed to honoring the vision of founder Emanuel Bronner by making socially and environmentally responsible personal care and food products of the highest quality, and by dedicating profits to help make a better world. Dr. Bronner’s commitment to social justice, environmental sustainability, and progressive and ethical business is part of the company’s mission to put the “All-One” philosophy printed on the company’s iconic soap labels into practice and integrate these ideals into all aspects of its operations. The company caps executive salaries at 5 times its lowest paid fully vested position and donates all profits not needed for business development. In 2023, Dr. Bronner’s generated an estimated $199.5 million in net revenue and gave more than $5 million to charitable and activist causes. To-date, Dr. Bronner’s has donated over $100 million since 1998, when leadership was transferred to the current generation who runs the company today. The company celebrated 75 years in business in 2023.

For further information, please visit: https://www.drbronner.com and https://www.drbronner.de

 

About Bronner Haus & Dr. Bronner’s Museum

The Bronner Haus is an ancestral home of the German-Jewish family behind the top-selling natural brand of soap in North America, Dr. Bronner’s. The building was originally built around 1807 and underwent extensive renovations in 2022, after the Bronner family acquired the home again. The building is where members of the Bronner family first began making soap in 1858. After nearly seven years of planning and renovations, the restoration was completed in spring 2024. Operated by the St. Elisabeth Foundation, the main floors of the house will serve as a residence for adults with special needs, named “Wohngemeinschaft Emanuel”. The Dr. Bronner’s museum, a permanent educational exhibit about the Bronner family’s soapmaking history and the business of Dr. Bronner’s today will occupy the basement of the house, in the same location where the family’s soapmaking legacy began.

For further information on Dr. Bronner’s history in Germany, please visit: https://www.lisabronner.com/five-generations-of-soapmakers-built-dr-bronners.