Employees of the magazines published by Gruner + Jahr, which are now part of RTL Germany, are now moving from Hamburg’s Baumwall to Hafencity. RTL Germany announced on Monday that the lease for an eight-storey office building at Koreastrasse 7, which was completed in 2016, has already been signed. In total, around 1,500 employees of RTL Germany – including the subsidiaries Gruner + Jahr, Ad Alliance, DPV, and RTL News (this also includes star+) – work under one roof. The move is to be phased in and completed by early 2025.
Originally, Gruner + Jahr had planned a new building at Lohsepark in Hafencity, but decided against it two years ago. Since then, the question of location has remained open. The striking headquarters on Baumwall, which is under monument protection, has already been sold.
20 million euros are planned in the budget
RTL Germany took over Gruner + Jahr’s magazine division in 2022. The parent company Bertelsmann plans to discontinue or sell parts of it. A total of around 700 of 1,900 jobs are to be lost, 500 of them in Hamburg alone. For the new and cheaper premises, 20 million euros in reinvestments are planned, as CEO Thomas Rabe announced in February.
Regarding the decision that has now been made, it is said that the goal was “to find a location that suits us as a company – whereby the property should be sustainable, flexible and well connected,” explained Ingrid Heisserer, CFO of RTL Germany. With this step, they are “clearly committed to Hamburg as a media location”.