Moving farewell to Paul Gauselmann at Benkhausen Castle

600 guests pay their last respects to the exceptional entrepreneur

More than 600 invited guests said goodbye to Paul Gauselmann at Benkhausen Castle. In addition to family members, friends and companions, numerous representatives from politics, business, the industry as well as clubs and associations were present, as well as employees of the Merkur Group.

The decorated courtyard with flowers, wreaths, flags of mourning and portraits of Paul Gauselmann formed the framework for the commemoration. So that the Group’s workforce could also follow the celebration, it was broadcast via live stream. Paul Gauselmann died on August 21 – shortly before his 92nd birthday. He founded the Merkur Group as a one-man operation and in 67 years at the helm developed it into an internationally successful group with currently over 15,000 employees.

The speakers paid tribute to Paul Gauselmann’s entrepreneurial life’s work, his social commitment and his impact on many people. They recalled his support for hospitals, schools, kindergartens, fire brigades and associations in the region. At the same time, they described him as a personality who listened, took others seriously, and shaped those around him. In this way, different facets became visible: the family man, the entrepreneur, the political actor, the supporter of the region, the tennis partner.

Michael Gauselmann kicked things off. The Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Merkur Group gave personal insights into the relationship with his father. He described how Paul Gauselmann took on different roles depending on the situation – as a family man as well as an entrepreneur. He remembered one lesson from his father in particular: “Only an implemented idea is a good idea,” reported Michael Gauselmann. Many years later, he often used this sentence in conversations with employees. “Don’t talk, do it.”

As one of Paul Gauselmann’s closest confidants, Manfred Stoffers, Deputy Spokesman of the Executive Board of the Merkur Group, moderated the commemoration. He reported on how he had met the deceased 42 years ago and introduced the speakers with personal anecdotes.

Lars Felderhoff assessed Paul Gauselmann’s entrepreneurial achievements. The spokesman of the Merkur Group explained that the company would not exist without his courage, commitment and perseverance, and praised him as a “brilliant tinkerer, visionary and designer”. He also emphasised his energy and restlessness: “Standing still was not an option.” At the same time, Felderhoff emphasised that the success of “PG”, as it was appreciatively and respectfully called, could not only be seen in numbers, but “also in the people it has shaped”.

Paul Gauselmann was also a politically interested and opinionated person who sought exchange. For Manfred Stoffers, he was a “fighter for freedom”, and Hermann Otto Solms, former vice president of the Bundestag and long-time FDP member of the Bundestag, reported on decades of exchange and mutual sympathy. “Paul Gauselmann always wanted to get the industry out of the grey area,” said the FDP honorary chairman. Georg Stecker, Spokesman of the Board of Directors of the German Slot Machine Industry, also emphasised the merits for the industry. “No one has achieved so much for the industry,” Stecker stressed. “He was a technology enthusiast and an absolute doer.”

The condolences of the state government of North Rhine-Westphalia were conveyed by Anna Katharina Bölling, district president of the administrative district of Detmold: “North Rhine-Westphalia has lost a visionary entrepreneur.” There was hardly a hospital, school, daycare center or association in the region that did not benefit from his generosity. The meetings with the entrepreneur have always been something special for her. “He was not only a good speaker, but also a good listener. That’s not given to many.”

Ali Dogan, District Administrator of the Minden-Lübbecke district, also emphasised Paul Gauselmann’s commitment to the general public. “Paul Gauselmann was a real pillar of society.” The Mühlenkreiskliniken in particular have repeatedly received financial support. The deceased’s attachment to his homeland was also emphasised by Espelkamp’s mayor Dr. Henning Vieker and Lübbecke’s mayor Philipp Knappmeyer. Paul Gauselmann was an honorary citizen of both cities and had given Espelkamp a donation of 8.7 million euros and Lübbecke a donation of five million euros during his lifetime. Both mayors emphasised that Paul Gauselmann always saw himself as part of the community and naturally visited the weekly market or other city festivals.

Erhard Schiffner and Arthur Plate had also experienced the deceased as part of a community. Erhard Schiffner, team captain of the men’s 75 from TV Espelkamp-Mittwald, whose team also included Paul Gauselmann, reported on his passion for tennis and his team spirit. As long as he could, Paul Gauselmann regularly stood on the tennis court and spent time with his teammates. This connection was also described by Arthur Plate, who experienced Paul Gauselmann once a month as part of his Doppelkopf rounds. “His diary was always drawn up with tennis and Doppelkopf in mind,” Plate described. “And that’s how real friendships developed.”

This private facet of Paul Gauselmann showed that, in addition to work ethic and ambition, the joy of playing also had a firm place in his life. Or as Manfred Stoffers put it: “Paul Gauselmann was not only a great game maker, but also an enthusiastic player himself.”