Five years after the closure: former Kaufhof employees in focus

Five years after the closure: former Kaufhof employees in focus

Since the Kaufhof branch in Neunkirchen was closed five years ago, the former employees have been through a lot. According to a report by SR.de Around 45 employees were affected, many of whom had worked in the department store for decades. The job loss came without severance pay and left many employees feeling insecure and disappointed.

Over the years, however, some of the former Kaufhof employees have found new ways. Some stayed in retail while others changed careers. Despite the cutback, they maintain contact via WhatsApp and meet annually on World Decent Work Day to exchange their experiences and support each other.

New perspectives and memories

In order to make the difficult situation of the former Kaufhof employees visible, the Catholic Adult Education Center is organizing an exhibition entitled “People of Hope” five years after the closure. Neunkirchen's mayor Jörg Aumann also discussed the future of the empty department store area in the city. A meeting between the former employees, the Neunkirchen tourist association and Aumann is intended to develop ideas and perspectives for the use of the area.

Experiences with disrespectful customers are particularly depressing for employees, as another report from Diocese of Trier reported. Employees report insults and inappropriate behavior, which exacerbates an already stressful situation. Concetta La Rizza, the works council chairwoman, has been at Kaufhof for 26 years and emphasizes the long tenure of many of her colleagues.

On October 7th, a public service took place in the “Momentum” church shop to encourage the employees and strengthen solidarity with them. Under the motto “Work humanely – live solidarity”, the Catholic Workers' Movement (KAB) brought the voices of the workforce into the community and exhibited portraits of ten Kaufhof employees, which were photographed by Franz Mees.

The situation in the larger context

The closures of Kaufhof branches are part of a larger crisis in retail. Loud daily news Several locations of the Galeria department store group have permanently closed in recent years. Of the original 92 branches, 83 were saved after creditors approved the restructuring plan.

The reasons for these closures are complex, with repeated company insolvencies and rents that are too high and are no longer sustainable. The company structure is now being streamlined and the Karstadt and Kaufhof brands are being discontinued, while Galeria is being managed as a new umbrella brand. The fate of these employees is representative of an entire industry that is undergoing massive upheaval.

A feature about the former Kaufhof employees will appear on October 12, 2025 at 12:30 p.m SR 3 Saarland wave will be broadcast and then available in their podcast and in the ARD audio library. Such stories are important to make the personal stories behind the numbers and statistics visible.