Hamburg-Blankenese, August 12 – In a bold move defying industry challenges, Pascal Mathéus and Florian Wernicke, the passionate owners of Wassermann Bookshop in Hamburg-Blankenese, are expanding their business with the opening of two new stores. This expansion comes despite a struggling book market, where nearly a quarter of owner-managed bookshops are closing or failing to find successors.
A Passion for Books Fuels Success
Mathéus, an ancient historian, and Wernicke, a gerontologist, moved to Hamburg from Freiburg a few years ago, driven by their shared love for books and reading. They successfully established Wassermann Bookshop, which has flourished under their innovative approach. “We are not dreamers, but we dare to do something!” says Wernicke, acknowledging the difficulties faced by the industry.
Locally-Focused Events Drive Community Engagement
A key to their success has been a strong focus on local community engagement. Their “Herbstlese” (Autumn Reading) festival, now in its third year, has proven extremely popular. “We organize events with a high local connection,” Wernicke explains. Initiatives like “Dichter der Elbvororte” (Poets of the Elbe Suburbs) and the current “Menschen aus Blankenese” (People from Blankenese) series exemplify this strategy.
“We look very closely at where people leave their mark – whether they were literary figures or people who simply shape something in this place. And what can we, as a bookshop, as a debate center or as a meeting point and social anchor, do to ensure that this remains so,” Wernicke elaborates. This concept has thrived over the past four years, complemented by the success of their Herbstlese festival.
Filling the Void: Blankenese Herbstlese Steps Up
This year, the Blankenese Herbstlese will play an even more significant role. For the first time in 15 years, the Harbour Front Festival will not take place. The Blankenese Herbstlese aims to fill this gap by featuring high-profile guests, including renowned author Elke Heidenreich.
“Kleiner Wassermann”: A Dedicated Children’s Bookshop
One of the two new ventures is a dedicated children’s bookshop, “Kleiner Wassermann” (Little Wassermann), located almost next door on Elbchaussee. “We take adult literature very seriously. We also take children very seriously, but this is not really reflected in the space,” Wernicke explains the motivation behind this new concept.
“And we thought: it would be great if children also had a space with the same intensity, enthusiasm and seriousness, where they can get to know literature, engage with literature and also meet people who are really serious about them.” The “Kleiner Wassermann” is scheduled to open on October 1st with a special event featuring Rolf Zuckowski. It will permanently offer reading promotion programs and foster close cooperation with schools and kindergartens.
Further Expansion: “Herbstlese Junior” and a New Branch
In addition to the children’s bookshop, this autumn will also see the inaugural “Herbstlese Junior” from October 8th to 11th. Furthermore, Mathéus and Wernicke are opening another bookshop modeled after their Blankenese success, located in Erikastraße in Eppendorf.
This ambitious expansion is a challenging endeavor, but Wernicke is pleased that there is still enough time for reading. He recently enjoyed “John of John” by Douglas Stewart and is currently reading “Buckeye,” another extensive novel.
The success story of Wassermann Bookshop highlights a resilient spirit in the face of industry adversity, proving that passion, community engagement, and innovative concepts can lead to growth even in challenging times.
Source: NDR.de
