Indian Summer in Siemensstadt Wincor Nixdorf moves into a new ...

The bookshop without books in Siemensstadt
With a lot of courage three new business founders have fulfi lled a dream on the Nonnendamm – a success story.
The story of the formation
of the book shop “Bücher
am Nonnendamm [Books
on the Nonnendamm]” could
be an American success story.
Although the three ope-
rators of the small bookshop
have not worked their way up
from washing dishes to millionaires,
they have saved themselves
from unemployment
with a lot of
commitment,
creative ideas
and much
courage. “At the end of 2001
our employer went bankrupt
and we were suddenly faced
with a void,” remembers Edgar
Schuster. “But we did not want
to be unemployed and even
our old customers regretted
that there was now no longer a
bookshop in Siemensstadt,” relates
Schuster. So the bookseller
wrote out a business plan
and took it from bank to bank.
“I went to fi ve or six banks but
no-one wanted to give us a
start-up loan,” remembers the
entrepreneur.
Because they were not able
to get anywhere with the credit
companies, Schuster scraped
his savings of 4500 Marks to-
gether, negotiated with the
landlord of the shop premises
on the Nonnendamm and fi rst
of all bought three Billy shelves
and the cheapest carpet he
could fi nd. “”A regular lady cus-
tomer advanced the fi rst rent
and so we stood there in January
2002 with three shelves in
the shop – empty, as we had
not yet any money for books,”
smiled booksellerSchuster.
For the
s e l f - m a d e
bookseller and his two comrades-in-arms
Astrid Riediger
and Michael Strobel there were
still two questions to answer:
what is a bookshop without
books and how should they get
the necessary books without
money?
Yet Schuster, Riediger and
Strobel would have not dared
to tread this rocky path to selfemployment
if they had not
Today Edgar Schuster stands in front of full bookshelves and books pile up on tables and in the back room. Photo: Edler
On the Nonnendamm
at fi rst there was only a
bookshop without books
What would the Siemens Technopark be without its neighbours. A number of things have
been done in the neighbourhood by the companies on the site. In this section “Park News”
informs you about partnerships and synergies round the Technopark.
already had the solution. “We
sold 50-Euro vouchers to our
customers that they could not
use until October,” recounts
Astrid Riediger. The three sold
in total 60 vouchers, went to
the Book Fair with the money
and shopped there.
With that the basic stock for
the small bookshop was laid
down and meanwhile it now
has a wide range. “We have
fi ction, non-fi ction, children’s
books and much more,” says
Schuster. Various university li-
braries are also being supplied.
If something cannot be
found on the shelves, which
are in the meantime well fi lled,
it is mostly ordered overnight.
If the books are no longer available
from the publishers,
Schuster and his colleagues
acquire the desired books
from second-hand book dealers.
For us that is part of the
service, we do everything and
use our good contacts so that
the customers are satisfi ed,”
says Schuster. What is more,
the three prefer to sell books
that they themselves have
read. “When the customers
hear how enthusiastically we
talk about some books, they
feel that they are being better
advised,” admits Schuster.
But it is not only satisfaction
that drives the Siemensstädters
into the bookshop. It
is also a question of custom
and tradition. Anyway there
has always been a bookshop in
Siemensstadt since the twenties.
“”At that time there was
the ‘Buchstube’ [book room]
quite near here and after that
the bookshop in the Quellweg,“
Schuster chats about
the past. The three-man team
from “Bücher am Nonnendamm”
wanted to carry on this
fi ne tradition and the past fi ve
years have again shown: who
does not dare, does not win.
Schuster, Riediger and Strobel
have in any case dared much
and have been winning much
more since January 2002.
Apart from the many companies in the Technopark there is also a series of
attractions that have not directly come from the Technopark but do belong to it.
You will fi nd out here which ones.
Neighbours Information
Bücher am Nonnendamm - they fought hard for it. Foto: Naß Astrid Riediger, Edgar Schuster, Michael Strobel Foto: Edler
Domestic appliances
at reasonable prices
Four “Für-uns-Shops” round Siemens
They have been there since
1976 – the “shops for
us” where Siemens staff obtain
high-quality goods at reasonable
prices. “The idea for
these shops came from the social
concept of giving company
employees the possibility
of shopping cheaply and in the
workplace,” says Bernd Grotewohl,
Regional Director of the
“shops for us”.
And so the sales points are
found near and on numerous
Siemens sites. On the Siemens
site in Berlin too they invite you
Bored? Fancy sharing a hobby with
others? Then you are in the right place
in the Siemens Culture Circle. Whether it
is fi shing, crafts or photography, whether
as a member of the big band or as participant
of regular lecture evenings or visits
– the Culture Circle has something for almost
every taste. “The culture circle has
been in existence for 60 years,” says
Robert Schreiber, President of
the Siemens Culture Circle.
Yet even though there is a lot
on offer most of the groups
of the Culture Circle are having
problems recruiting
new members. “There are
unfortunately very few people
interested,“ regrets Schreiber.
to shop at low prices. “Shops
for us” are equipped with everything
the heart desires. From
washing machines to toasters,
from mountain bikes to motor
scooters – whoever comes here
can rummage, search and fi nd
to their heart’s content. “We
try to offer all products cheaper
than in normal shops,”
says Bernd Grotewohl. If not,
the price guarantee comes into
effect.
The customers are Siemens
staff and, in future, staff of
companies based in the Sie-
White goods and much more can be purchased in the “Für-uns-Shops”.
mens Technopark are also to be
included. “Perhaps we can also
open a shop on the Technopark
area,” hopes Grotewohl. Until
that moment comes, high-
Culture Circle with lots on offer
It is not only Siemens staff that are being
invited to spend part of their free time in
the company’s hobby groups. “Staff not
from Siemens can also pop in and have a
look to see if there is a group of interest to
them,” emphasizes the Culture Circle President.
Indeed,
quality branded goods can be
bought cheaply in the existing
“shops for us” at Nonnendammallee
101, Rohrdamm 83 (B-
Lager), and Siemensdamm 50.
alongside well-known pastimes such as
chess, choirs or photography there are a
few quite exotic offerings. “For example
we have a group that meet to play war
games,” says Schreiber. The object is
to play games of strategy with tin fi gures
that have previously been personally
painted by hand. “As with model railways
we build the layout ourselves and work
out our strategy,” explains Schreiber. There
are also card games such as Yu-Gi-Yohor
or paper and pen role play or a radio
or computer club in the Culture
Circle.
Anyone interested can contact Robert
Schreiber on telephone 386-25119
or by email to
robert.schreiber@siemens.com
Financial plans for private individuals and entrepreneurs
Anyone who does not want
to just take their savings to
the bank and leave them lying
around in a savings account
should seek professional advice.
Karsten Reichelt is a senior
adviser at MLP Finanzdienstleistungen
[Financial Services]
AG and explains to his customers
why it is important to adapt
fi nancial planning to your
own life goals and develop individual
solutions. “I advise
MLP advises fi rms based on the Siemens Technopark or their staff
both business people and also
private individuals,” says Reichelt.
It does not matter whether
it is for extra retirement
pension, insurance or investment
possibilities – Reichelt
analyses in detail which fi nancial
model suits the demands
and wishes of each individual
client. “I check what aims the
client is pursuing and then
show him solution possibilities
independent of provider,“
says Reichelt. For this, MLP is
perfectly free in which companies
it chooses for investments
as MLP is an agent and therefore
is not in cooperation with
certain insurances or banks.
Furthermore Reichelt informs
clients about funding and allowances
that can be claimed
both by businesses and private
investors. “Very few people
know much about that,” admits
the adviser, “every year milli-
ons of Euros go unclaimed.”
Reichelt also offers his knowhow
to the companies based on
the Siemens Technopark Berlin
and their staff. “”For a short
walk, a consultation can take
place on the Siemens Technopark
or in our offi ce in Berlin
city centre,“ offers Reichelt.
He can be contacted there
by phone on 030-283931-24 or
by email at
karsten.reichelt@mlp.de.
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