Autohaus Knabe in Kierspe: Insolvency, but operations continue!

Autohaus Knabe in Kierspe: Insolvency, but operations continue!

The Knabe car dealership in Kierspe filed for bankruptcy on Monday, causing excitement among employees and in the region. How come-on.de Reportedly, insolvency proceedings were opened at the Hagen district court and 63 employees were informed of the situation on Friday. Despite the bankruptcy, operations continue to operate without restrictions and employees' salaries are secured until February 2026.

The step towards bankruptcy was necessary due to financial difficulties. Interestingly, the location in Halle an der Saale remains untouched because it belongs to another company. Potential buyers for the dealership are already in the pipeline and talks are set to begin after the turn of the year, bringing hope for a positive turnaround.

A look at history

The Knabe car dealership was founded in Meinerzhagen in 1941 by Martin Knabe and moved to Kierspe in 1949, where the company experienced an economic boom. The company's headquarters have been on Osemundstrasse since 1977. In the early years, the car dealership developed into an authorized dealer for Auto-Union and further expanded the VW and Audi brands. The current facilities have been expanded several times to meet the company's growing needs.

This bankruptcy is not just a local phenomenon. The number of corporate bankruptcies in Germany has increased IFM Bonn experienced an increase in 2024: 21,812 companies filed for bankruptcy, which is about 4,000 more than in 2023. This represents an increase of 22.4%, reflecting the ongoing economic crises.

The economic situation

The statistical facts show that companies that have been on the market for several years are particularly affected. The average number of bankruptcies per 1,000 existing companies has risen to 7. In addition, over 23,000 formerly self-employed people have filed for bankruptcy due to debts. Despite these trends, however, direct company closures due to bankruptcies rarely occur.

The situation at Knabe is part of a larger picture in the German economy, where companies continue to face major challenges. The coming months will be crucial to see how the situation develops for the dealership and whether there may be a positive turnaround.

The Kierspe region and the car dealership's employees hope that a solution can be found to keep the traditional company with a long history alive. It remains to be seen which discussions after the turn of the year will lead to concrete results and whether the car dealership can free itself from this crisis.