Aldi – Mr. Albrecht speaks – exceptionally – Süddeutsche.de

• For decades they knew almost nothing about the Aldi-owner. The changes just because the group there are just a lot of controversy.
• Especially it comes to the question of who the future has as much power in the company.

From Varinia Bernau and Michael Kläsgen , food

The Aldis, suddenly and without. For decades, was a golden rule in the kingdom of the discounter: utmost restraint! The two founders Karl and Theodor Albrecht senior had this rule self-imposed – and they passed on the legacy to their children and grandchildren. They stuck to this rule, after they had invented in 1962 the discounters in Dortmund and created from the small grocery store in her mother eating a multibillion dollar commercial enterprise. Maybe because they wanted to preserve their independence. Perhaps because they had seen in 1971 after the abduction of Theodor Albrecht senior what can happen in the worst case, if others know too much about them.

The need for extreme restraint no longer applies. Theodor Albrecht junior, one of two sons of Theodor senior, breaks the silence. Because among the heirs of the billions Group has broken a dispute, which will be held in public. First, there were negotiations in court. Then rumors were spread through the press. And now Theo junior gave an interview for the first time. In it, he accuses the his deceased brother in 2012. Berthold widow that she is acting in its attempt to gain more influence on the family foundation against the will of her husband. “My brother would roll over in his grave if he knew what goes on here,” he told the Handelsblatt . And about himself: “I defend the will of my brother and the Statute of the Foundation.” The purpose of the Foundation is to protect the company against a major effect of the family. “But I fight.”

€ 28 billion in Germany alone

Aldi Süd will make with the price closing

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The Foundation to be filled at quarreled so bitterly, is one of three partners of Aldi Nord – so that they will decide the future of Germany’s large discounters. In 2001 Berthold Albrecht brought his assets in the James Foundation. She has since held 19.5 percent of the capital of the group – as much as the junior of Theodor Albrecht founded and equipped with its assets Lukas Foundation. The remaining 61 percent of the shares of Aldi Nord holds Markus Foundation by Theodor Albrecht junior and his mother Cecilia.

The annual turnover, make the Aldi Nord and Aldi Süd together, is about 28 billion euros alone in Germany – as high as in any other discounters. But while the branches to be modernized in the south of the Republic, many markets have an effect in the north rather bleak. Here, but also abroad, especially in France and Denmark, would have to be invested strongly in the coming years. In East Germany, on the other hand is in the closure of many stores, which also costs money. The important decisions about where poorly attended shutters closed and where others are re-equipped must take all three foundations unanimously. Also post on the executive floor of Aldi Nord, which regulates the daily business can only be occupied or remain, when all three foundations are unanimous. But all of that is because of the dispute over the balance of power in the James Foundation questioned

Two Sites are located in the power struggle hostile. Theodor Albrecht junior, his mother Cecilia and her lawyer Emil Huber, who in the management of Aldi Nord is involved for 42 years. They emphasize to want to preserve the company – in the spirit of the late Berthold Albrecht. This had meant to limit the influence of his descendants in the foundation using an amendment about two years before his death. Whether this change is final, is currently before the court.

Babette Albrecht and her five children, however, see in the amendment a trick with her brother wants to force them out of the company. At the beginning of the year successfully fought Babette Albrecht before the Administrative Court of Schleswig a partial success. The court overturned for technical reasons, the amendment that Berthold Albrecht placed in December 2010 and was confirmed a few days later from the foundation supervision. The process is now on appeal to the Supreme Administrative Court. It has to decide who has the future as much influence in the foundation and thus at Aldi Nord. A date for the decision are not yet available.

So far, there are, however, no indication that the family quarrel hampered business decisions of the family foundation, these have been taken up recently by consensus. But the violence is wrestled with for power in the James Foundation, shows that this unity is only facade – a facade that always gets deeper cracks. The dispute between the heirs of company founder Theodor Albrecht senior has the potential to tear the northern part of Germany’s biggest discounter. Aldi Süd remains unaffected by the operations

Theodor Albrecht junior is convinced. If he loses the power struggle, “could the children of Berthold lead together with their lawyer, the company by the nose by the ring”. About her lawyer Babette Albrecht and let their children against it align that they can understand in any way, in which the damage arises, they should cause the Company. You would demand only say that admits them the statutes in the foundation and therefore also in the company.