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History of the Schulz Charitable Foundation, Inc.

The Schulz Charitable Foundation was established in 1998 with the assets received from the estates of Adalbert and Erna K. Schulz, who died within two months of each other in 1997.

Adalbert, also known as Bert, was born in June 1939 in Braunsberg, East Prussia, now part of Poland. His father, Johannes Schulz, was a school teacher and was subsequently called to serve in the German army during World War II. Helene Schulz, his mother, moved with Bert back to her parents home in Niklaskirchen when Johannes went into the army. Johannes was able to come home only periodically during the early war years.

Helene Schulz and her three children had to flee their home in January 1945 because the Russian troops were advancing into East Prussia. "The Flucht" (the fleeing of civilians from the Russian army) was very traumatic for all. Families were torn apart, and many became ill and died because they did not have the proper medicine, shelter or food. During the Russian advance, Johannes was captured by the Russians and was sent to a prisoner-of-war camp.

Very weary and stressed, Helene and the children arrived in Rostock, Germany. Bert's sister, Christa, two years old, became ill and died in September 1945. During this time Helene also became seriously ill. Bert was old enough to stay with his mother, however his brother, Oskar, barely one year old and suffering from malnutrition, was placed in foster care. Helene Schulz's condition became worse and she was sent away to a clinic in the summer of 1946.

Bert, age 7, first went to stay with his father's sister, but was subsequently placed in an orphanage in Bad Oldesloe, near Hamburg in August 1947. Bert Schulz, at only age 8 had no contact with his family or relatives, and was growing up in post war Germany in an orphanage. Bert's father, Johannes Schulz, was released from the Russian prisoner-of-war camp in the fall of 1948. He immediately looked for employment and housing so that he could reunite the family. He found Bert in the orphanage and brought him to their new home in July 1949. Two months later Bert's mother and brother, Helene and Oskar, joined them in Herdecke, Germany.

Bert attended middle school and high school in Herdecke, Germany and went on to college to study to be a machinist. He graduated with honors and continued his studies, receiving a degree in mechanical engineering in July 1960.

Bert had no problem finding employment. He worked for various corporations over the next four years and in 1964 he landed a job with the firm Taprogge, which sent him to New York to operate their USA office in 1965. After a couple of years, Bert started his own businesses including Schulz Technical Sales Corporation and Schulz Engineering. Ultimately he was one of the founders of Kleiber and Schulz in 1973. The Company was headquartered on Long Island, New York, and grew to be one of the leaders in the fabrication of sophisticated wet blasting devices for industrial applications. Bert attributed his success to hard work and to the good education he had been fortunate enough to obtain.

The Schulzes always displayed generosity to individuals who shared their intense work ethic. Moreover, due to the difficulties of his own childhood and his numerous health problems, near the end of his life Bert expressed an interest in helping underprivileged and physically challenged children. The trustees of the foundation he created are charged with carrying out a mission that honors his final request.

© Schulz Charitable Foundation, Inc., 2006

Schulz Charitable Foundation, Inc.
P.O. Box 27036
Scottsdale, AZ 85255
Ph: 480.585.9157
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