Bureaucracy is crushing traditional bakery: 120 years of history at the end!

Bureaucracy is crushing traditional bakery: 120 years of history at the end!

The traditional Discher bakery from Öhringen in Baden-Württemberg will close in August 2025 after over 120 years. Run in the fifth generation by Andreas Discher and his wife, survival is becoming increasingly difficult for the family business. Around 50 employees are at the door, a bitter loss for the region. The bakery is not an isolated case, but an example of the oppressive burdens that many craft businesses in Germany have to endure. This situation is anything but new, as Merkur reported.

The reasons for the closure of the traditional bakery are not the economic situation, but rather the excessive bureaucracy. Master baker Discher describes the bureaucracy as a major obstacle that causes him and his team to spend more time on paperwork than baking. “The bureaucracy makes the company unprofitable,” says Discher. There is also an acute shortage of personnel as fewer and fewer young people are interested in the skilled trades. The trades themselves are alarmed, as a study shows that shows the negative effects of bureaucracy on the German economy. [Kettner].

Bureaucratic hurdles for the trades

The mood in the craft industry is tense. Holger Schwannecke, Secretary General of the Central Association of German Crafts, makes it clear that high taxes and the forest of regulations unsettle many entrepreneurs. As a result, potential successors often do not want to enter the profession. In fact, a total of 125,000 companies are due to be transferred over the next five years, but new businesses are not being founded for fear of bureaucratic requirements. As BR reports, the number of new masters who become self-employed has fallen.

Another problem is the decision of many young people to choose an academic career instead of skilled trades training. This further exacerbates the shortage of skilled workers and complicates the situation for existing companies. Over 99 percent of all companies in Germany are small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which provide a significant proportion of apprentices and employees. The outlook for future developments remains bleak given the high level of regulation and weak consumer impulses.

Optimism is required

The new federal government is planning a 500 billion euro special fund, but critics warn that the regulation could further endanger medium-sized businesses. The trades therefore demand: less taxes, a reduction in bureaucracy and greater support for vocational training. A rethink seems necessary to create a loud wake-up call - not only for young people, but also for politicians. The closure of the Discher bakery is a symptom of the political failure that must be urgently countered. Without measures, the colorful diversity of German craftsmanship will soon be nothing more than history.