Nuremberg and Erlangen are strongly represented on the “Galeria” cross-off list: in addition to two department stores in Nuremberg, Kaufhof in Erlangen is also to close forever.
Nuremberg - Long faces in Nuremberg: Only the Karstadt department store at the Lorenzkirche should be preserved.
The two Kaufhof branches in Nuremberg and Erlangen are to be closed.
The Karstadt location in Nuremberg-Langwasser is also on the brink of closure.
"Black day for the closing branches": Many employees are crying
A total of 250 full-time employees are at stake.
"It's a black day for the closing branches," said Robert Firtzlaff, chairman of the works council at Kaufhof on Königstrasse in Nuremberg.
When the end was announced, many of the approximately 100 employees cried.
"We didn't expect it because our property is owned by René Benko.
So we just didn't think that René Benko would want to close his own property," said Firtzlaff shortly after the decision on Monday, March 13, visibly affected.
The approximately 80 employees at Karstadt in Nuremberg-Langwasser were just as shocked, said Katharina Lorenz from the branch in the Frankencenter in the south of the Franconian metropolis.
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Robert Firtzlaff demonstrated against the closure two years ago - now Galeria-Kaufhof on Nuremberg's Königstraße is to close for good.
© Hubert Thiermeyer
Cheering only at Galeria at the Lorenzkirche
Only at Karstadt at the Lorenzkirche was the mood different.
"Of course we cheered," said Thomas Vieweg, Chairman of the Works Council of the Galeria flagship at Nuremberg's Lorenzkirche.
After the spontaneous joy at the rescue, however, horror at the fate of the two neighboring houses quickly set in, said Vieweg.
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City Hall “does not want to accept” closures
The news was also received with dismay at City Hall.
According to Mayor Marcus König (CSU), the city of Nuremberg does not want to accept the announced closure of the two branches.
"As much as I am happy about the receipt of Galeria Lorenzkirche, I cannot accept the announced closure of the two Königstraße and Langwasser branches," said König in a first statement.
"In our city center, two Galeria branches are justified, also in the immediate vicinity," said economics officer Michael Fraas (also CSU) and referred to the strong role of the pedestrian zone between Lorenzkirche, main station and Weißer Turm as a shopping city.
"We have the highest shopping centrality of all major German cities," said Fraas, referring to the large catchment area in northern Bavaria.
Meanwhile, the unions have also announced that they want to fight for “every employee and every branch”.
The trade unions were particularly caught off guard by the Galeria-Aus in Erlangen.
The department store is considered the anchor store for the city center in the prosperous Huguenot town.
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