Foundation founder

Michael Horbach was born 1950 in Aachen as a son of a laboring man. He tried to conciliate entrepreneurial achievements, social responsibility and cultural interest from a very early age.

After his studies of economics at the University of Aachen, he founded a business consultancy firm (HORBACH Business Consultancy) in 1983. In addition to his career, he has always been interested in art and culture. In 1986 he took over the art gallery of Hans Jürgen Müller and exhibited artists like Blalla W. Hallmann, Thomas Huber, Marie-Jo Lafontaine and Heinz Zolper until 1991.

His photographic collection “The other side of beauty” was first on display at the Rheinisches Landesmuseum in Bonn in 1995 and stayed there until 2011.

After 17 years of heading his firm, he sold his business in 2000 to the AWD Holding AG, one of the leading financial service providers in Europe.

Today, Michael Horbach lives by turns in Cologne and in Santa Maria on the island of Mallorca. He has got a 36 year old son, with whom he shares his social dedication.