100 years – The history
of the department store
The Kaufhaus Görlitz is today the only remaining testimonial of early German department store culture. On
the 30th September 1913, the magnificent new building
opened its doors under the name “Kaufhaus zum
Strauß” (Department store “The Ostrich”). The companies Lindemann and Ploschitzki, who were already running several department stores, pulled down the old
buildings and the adjacent “Hotel zum Strauß” (Hotel
“The Ostrich”) and created a shopping world to compete with the large department stores in the great European metropolises. Following the plans of architect Carl
Schmanns from Potsdam (1863-1957), the renowned
constructor August Kaempffer from Goerlitz built the
impressive complex. After several years of success, the
company fused with the upcoming Karstadt group in
1929. The department store experienced some difficult
years during the Second World War. In 1968, the Kaufhaus Görlitz was converted by the town of Goerlitz and
the Trading Organisation into the Centrum Warenhaus. After the German reunification, Karstadt returned in 1991, reincorporated the building into its
group and renovated the building for more than 20 million DM. When a first crisis hit the group in 2004, the
site was hived off from the group together with 72 further stores and sold to a British financial investor. As
this investor was not able to compete and had to declare
insolvency, the store was shut down in August 2009, despite its success in the previous years. The perfumery
Thiemann stayed in the store until the renovation started and thus not only offered a large variety of scents and
cosmetic products to its customers, but also an insight
into the marvellous building.
Owing to the passionate dedication of Luebeck-based
entrepreneur Prof. Dr. med. Winfried Stöcker who grew
up in the region, the Goerlitz department store is now
getting a chance to retrieve its former historic significance.
No face resembles another. Th is is also the case for those made of
sandstone. Restorer Robert Vallentin, stonemason and sculptor, has a
closer look at every single one of the 24 figures and figure groups
Draft, as part of a Master’s thesis
Prelude to a fresh start
It’s all about quality and
a unique experience!
The status quo: Before the Kaufhaus Goerlitz and its interior are restored, everything needs to be minutely
planned behind the scenes. Especially the building and
room climate and the tailor-made light concept require
the most diligent preparation and planning. Highly
qualified construction workers, heating installers, electricians and flooring technicians have done excellent
preliminary work during the last six months. Over 10
cm thick concrete and 272 containers with demolition
waste were removed from the building site. 141 tons of
scrap wood were removed from the building. The largest part of the 216 windows is still from 1913 and hence
needs to be completely replaced. The construction
measures are always taken under consideration of all
preservation regulations since the overall picture of the
building should be conserved.
Who owns this imposing building and what
is going to happen to it?
The owner of the store is a real Upper Lusatian! Entrepreneur Prof. Dr. med. Winfried Stöcker is founder and
member of the board of directors of EUROIMMUN
Medizinische Labordiagnostika AG, an international
company from the medical technology branch. The company
holds seven sites in Germany, two of which are located in the
Goerlitz region, Upper Lusatia.
What is the concept behind the future
Kaufhaus Görlitz Store?
High quality products, many of them regional, at a reasonable price – this is the philosophy behind the department
store. And a unique shopping experience! We want our
customers and visitors to enjoy their stay in the department
store and feel almost at home on the 7,000 square metres and
find an attractive product range. An interesting mixture of
shopping, gastronomy and events will amaze locals and
visitors from the neighbouring countries and tourists.
Frequent events in the imposing atrium (fashion shows,
concerts, balls, literature event…) offer further attractive
entertainment.
Shop-in-shop or individual stores?
What is it going to be?
We aspire to a shop-in-shop store with a unified point of sale
system and are just tackling this logistic challenge. In the
basement, there will be fresh groceries, on the ground floor a
perfumery, accessories, special offers and regional products.
On levels 1 and 2 there will be a selection of ladies’ and men’s
garments. Excellent gastronomy, designer brands and
delicatessen will find their place on level 3, as well as a men’s
and a children’s world, children’s clothes and toys. On level
4, a restaurant with a terrace is planned which will offer an
amazing view of the Izera and Sudeten Mountains.
Winfried Stöcker congratulates the
beaming winner of the
Euro Fashion Award,
Anastasia Lotikova from Belarus
In April 2016, the Kaufhaus Görlitz hosted the glamourous Euro Fashion Award for the first time – a high-level
European fashion competition for young professional
designers.
www.euro-fashion-award.com
When will the Kaufhaus Görlitz be opened?
Prof. Dr. Stöcker’s aim is a department store that is both
beautiful and economically successful. Therefore, the former
sales areas need to be extended. If you want to provide
state-of-the-art building technology and modern comfort to
your customers, you need to consider the requirements of
this old, marvellous building. And that is exactly what we
are doing. At the moment we expect to start construction
and restauration in 2018.
Is the department store popular amongst
movie makers and fashion show organisers?
Absolutely! We receive many enquiries from international
and national fi lm and fashion projects. For example, the
opening fi lm of the Berlin Film festival, Berlinale 2014,
“The Grand Budapest Hotel”, was fi lmed here from October
2012 to March 2013 and in spring 2014, the spot for the
fashion portal “Department 47” was fi lmed here. For us, this
was like a catching a glimpse of the future as this is what the
store could look like in some time.
Are the gorgeous chandeliers in the light
shaft still the original ones?
No, the original chandeliers were removed during the times
of the GDR. The chandeliers you can see now are facsimile
reproductions from 1993.
Is the glass roof still in its original state?
The beautiful Art Nouveau glass dome which covers the
three-level atrium was restored in the 1980es. The special
technique which was employed is characterised by the use of
enamel colour which is baked into the material at a temperature of 600°C, causing an effect as in a graphic.
Will there be escalators in
the building?
We are currently examining whether and with what visual
appearance the comfort of lifts and escalators could be
provided whilst leaving the special character of the store
untouched. By the way: anyone who feels like walking will
not be able to resist walking up the prestigious flights of
steps and imposing curved staircase.
Where to find us:
Kaufhaus Görlitz
an der Frauenkirche 5 – 7
D – 02826 Görlitz
[email protected]
[email protected]
by phone: +49 3581 – 764 05 45
www.kaufhaus-goerlitz.eu
Even before the opening of the department store,
the fashion boutique “Modehaus am Postplatz”
will be launched in spring 2018. Our customers can look
forward to a stylish selection of fine clothing – a premium range of classic, casual and elegant fashion,
lingerie and accessories for all ages. The café “Zur
Muschelminna” offers a choice of delicious treats and an
amazing view on the Toberentz fountain and the beautifully planted Postplatz square.
www.modehaus-am-postplatz.de