Thursday, January 15
The Galeria department store at Alexanderplatz is Berlin’s largest store. 413,000 shoppers visited it in December alone. It has now been confirmed that the jobs of its 224 employees are safe, for now, as its lease will no longer expire in August.
Built from 1967 to 1970 as part of Alexanderplatz’s redesign, Galeria represents more than just a department store but 55 years of shopping tradition, dating back to its opening in East Berlin. However, Galeria’s future remains up for debate.
Although the lease is secure until next year, the survival of the Galeria depends at least partly on the move-in of the state library. Negotiations with the Central State Libraries (ZLB) will continue, which could at least partly take over the spot and make it a mix-use property.
Culture Senator Sarah Wedl-Wilson stated, “I am very happy that we will continue to work together at a central location for the ZLB. The most visited cultural institution in the city needs an address in the center of Berlin – at Alexanderplatz.”
However, the Senate has made it clear that the move-in of the ZLB is still being debated, stating that the present offer is “not eligible for admission” and there are still “veritable negotiation steps needed”.
