Bäckerslüüd in Eutin: Cooperative as a role model for the future!

Bäckerslüüd in Eutin: Cooperative as a role model for the future!

A completely new wind is blowing in the Eutin bakery Bäckerslüüd. Since the beginning of 2025, the traditional family business has been transformed into a cooperative, which not only ensures fresh bread but also fresh ideas. The founder's granddaughter, Jana Klausberger, has taken on responsibility and wants to spread the burden across several shoulders. The cooperative, which was officially entered in the commercial register in April 2025, now has 65 members, consisting of employees and loyal customers.

This change is accompanied by an important step: cooperatives are a rarity in Germany. Bäckerslüüd is one of only three cooperatively run craft businesses in Germany. What is particularly noteworthy is that the bakery in Schleswig-Holstein is the only one of its kind among over 200 other bakeries. A success that is also reflected in the declining numbers of bakeries in the region: from 291 in 2015, the number fell to 211 in 2024. Nationwide, the number of baking businesses has fallen from more than 12,600 in 2014 to just 8,912 currently.

Bear responsibility together

Cooperatives have made it their mission to actively involve members in decisions. All members of Bäckerslüüd share the entrepreneurial risk and have equal say. Profits are not distributed to individuals, but flow entirely back into the bakery. Managing directors are permanently employed and the members mainly come from the bakery's immediate environment. This promotes a strong connection to the community and is based on local needs.

The Bäckerslüüd processes three tons of flour every year and makes all of its baked goods itself. The goal is clear: to remain rooted in Eutin and to be a central place for encounters and community. The cooperative also sees itself as responsible for offering the local population a good range of products and at the same time responding to trends in baking culture.

An answer to the shortage of skilled workers?

The challenges in the bakery industry should not be underestimated. According to a current report by jack-news.de, without immigration and fundamental reforms there is a risk of a serious shortage of skilled workers in bread baking. This problem not only affects Eutin, but the entire country.It seems that cooperative structures like Bäckerslüüd could offer a viable alternative to meet this challenge by establishing themselves as a link between the craft and the community.

A look beyond the borders shows that cooperatives play an important role not only in Germany. There are around 800 million members of cooperatives worldwide, which secure 100 million jobs. From Canada to Bolivia, they are active in a wide variety of areas and not only offer economic advantages, but also strengthen social structures. deutschland.de reports on the important role of cooperatives.

The development of the Bäckerslüüd in Eutin is an exciting example that gives hope for a renaissance of crafts in Germany. If the political framework is right, this model could find many imitators. And if we know one thing, it is that good bread is not just food - it is also part of the cultural heritage that is worth preserving.