Görtz closure highlights wave of bankruptcies in Germany
The German shoe retailer Görtz has declared bankruptcy and failed to find an investor. As a result, the company is closing its stores, including its flagship location in Hamburg, known for its large retail space. This marks yet another German company facing significant challenges.
Dr. Gideon Böhm, the interim insolvency administrator, has confirmed that no investor has been found for the Hamburg store. The store on Spitalerstraße, which occupies over 5,000 square metres, will be returned to the owner at the end of April.
The website dlahandlu.pl reports that the final sale at Görtz's largest store has already concluded, and employees will be receiving termination notices. A total of 65 people are expected to be laid off.
on the market for 150 years. The German shoe chain is going under
Previously, Görtz closed its location in the Alstertal shopping centre, and the store in Darmstadt is set to close in mid-April. The process of finding investors for other locations is still ongoing, although the number of at-risk stores has not been revealed.
Görtz, founded in 1875, is one of Germany's oldest shoe chains. The company, which once operated several hundred stores across Germany and Austria, has been grappling with financial difficulties for years. In January 2025, yet another bankruptcy was declared, despite earlier support from investor Bolko Kissling.
The company, specializing in high-quality footwear, offered products from both its own brands and well-known international labels. However, despite its rich history, the company could not withstand current market challenges, such as declining consumption and the rise of e-commerce.
wave of bankruptcies in Germany
Görtz is not the only German company forced to restructure its operations. At the end of March 2025, the District Court in Bielefeld declared the bankruptcy of three subsidiaries of Gerry Weber, a German clothing brand.
The decision affects Gerry Weber DE GmbH (responsible for retail operations in Germany), E-Gerry Weber Digital GmbH (operator of the online store), and Life-Style Fashion GmbH (supplier to wholesale customers). This fashion group, founded in 1973, also has showrooms in Poland.
Problems are also impacting smaller German companies. The family-owned construction company Frank Berninger GmbH from Lower Franconia is also on the brink of bankruptcy. The company has filed for bankruptcy, but no investor has yet been found, so closure is a possibility. The lawyer representing the company indicated that "the debts are too high" for the company to continue operations in its current form.
