Protest against the closure of a savings bank branch

Since April 1, 2020, the Sparkasse Dachau branch on Klagenfurter Platz has only been using machines instead of employees.

The reason: economic pressure and the trend towards online banking.

But the citizens of Dachau-Süd are protesting.

The "Initiative Süd" has now turned a petition against the closure to the Sparkasse and the representatives of the city of Dachau.

Dachau - initiator Emmo Frey and 13 colleagues handed over 360 signatures to branch manager Stefan Huber and the head of the marketing department, Sabrina Steinau. Nobody from the city of Dachau came to the site on Thursday.

There are many older people living in Dachau-Süd who no longer have a local Sparkasse contact person, but have to get on the bus to get to the next southern branch on the corner of Munich and Schillerstraße. But Sabrina Steinau and Stefan Huber said that 70 percent of their customers prefer to manage their financial affairs from their smartphone. “The frequency in the branches is decreasing, older customers also do a lot with their mobile phones,” explains branch manager Stefan Huber. Sabrina Steinau explains at the same time that the branch on Klagenfurter Platz had to close due to the pandemic. "These are difficult times because of the low interest rate phase, so we had to rethink locations in order to pull the entire house apart."

There were some laughs from among the ranks of the initiative. What then would the fees be paid for? However, according to Huber, customers don't have to feel abandoned. “We also come to the customers,” promised the banker. Ingeborg Niedermeier would have liked this type of communication a little earlier. “As a customer, you have to know that the consultants also come home.” Because there are often no relatives who take care of the elderly.

Emmo Frey gave the two savings bank representatives 360 signatures.

He and his colleagues appealed to Mayor Florian Hartmann and District Administrator Stefan Löwl to use their votes on the Sparkasse's board of directors.

Emmo Frey asks at least for the repurchase of a mailbox in order to be able to post transfers.

Until then, like so many citizens, he has to have a "dialog with the computer" at the self-service terminals.

The rooms are currently being cleared.

The Sparkasse wants to rent out the premises.

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