A location steeped in history
City landmark in the heart of Aachen
The Karlshof in its current form was built in 1968. After the demolition of the department store that previously stood here, it was intended to breathe new life into the market district and become a meeting place in the old town, making the market and its immediate surroundings attractive again.
Karlshof is no longer a new building, but we are convinced that it still has the potential to fulfill this purpose. That is why we are striving to modernize the building to restore it to what it should be: a meeting place with restaurants for all Aachen residents, an economic center with modern office and commercial space—and a city brand for Aachen.
What Karlshof has to offer
In addition to its great location, Karlshof offers office space that promotes modern and community-based working. The building is managed by the experienced team at The Urban Village GmbH, who already wrote the success story of the technology center at Europaplatz!
To meet the needs of our tenants, we offer a variety of flexible rental models. Get in touch with us!
A location with a lively history
in 1906, Cologne merchant Leonhard Tietz opened what was then the city's largest department store in a magnificent building, the design of which was also influenced by the young Ludwig Mies. Although there was resistance to the new type of department store in general and Jewish businesses in particular, the changes brought about by the "Tietze Lejjenad" with its new concept could not be stopped. The department stores offered their goods at fixed prices, attracted customers with a large assortment, and allowed them to browse and stroll without any pressure to buy. In addition, new training opportunities arose that were particularly interesting for women. These factors had a lasting impact on the shopping behavior of Aachen's residents.
The Tietz department store was correspondingly successful, but had to lay off staff for the first time during the Great Depression. After the National Socialist movement came to power in 1933, Jewish businesses and shops were boycotted. In the same year, Tietz was expropriated and the company was renamed Westdeutsche Kaufhof AG as part of the Aryanization process. In 1945, Kaufhof moved to Adalbertstraße.
The building suffered little damage during the war, but was nevertheless demolished in 1965 to make way for today's Karlshof, which was built in 1968. The demolition of the former department store building was widely mourned. Officially, however, the new building was praised as a structure that blends in stylistically with its surroundings while still introducing new aspects.
