Gotha town council honours the life's work of Dirk Kollmar
The OeTTINGER Brewery was not just celebrating the 25th anniversary of its operation in Gotha last Saturday. The company and the family owners also attended a unique honour. From now on, the section of the Leinastrasse, in which the brewery is located, will be known as the Dirk-Kollmar-Strasse. Mayor Knut Kreuch unveiled the new street sign on Saturday morning. Astrid Kollmar, wife of the deceased Dirk Kollmar, his son Dennis, his mother Ingrid and sister Pia all attended this ceremonial and moving moment. Apart from the Gotha Managing Director, Jörg Dierig, Michael Mayer (Oettingen site) and Dr. Karl Liebl (Mönchengladbach site) also travelled to Thuringia.
“We regard it as a huge honour that Gotha Town Council has decided to rename this section of the Leinastrasse,” comments Jörg Dierig. “Our mantra has always been to take responsibility for the region in which we live and work. We will continue to measure ourselves against this.” Knut Kreuch referred to the youth work provided by “Basketball in Gotha”, set up by Dirk Kollmar and his support for the daycare nursery. “These are just a few examples that show to what extent he championed community life in Gotha and beyond. We wish to honour his work and commitment today by renaming the road in his honour.”
The Kollmar family decided in 1991 to set up its first production and sales site outside of Bavaria and struck it rich in Thuringia. Over the last 25 years, Gotha has grown to become a valuable site for the entire brewery Group, as national and international sales, marketing and, not forgetting, global exports are all controlled from here. A total of 25 different beers and beer-mix drinks are produced here. With an annual output of 190 million litres, Gotha is Thuringia’s largest brewery.
Over 6,000 visitors attended the brewery party
The company celebrated the success story of Gotha with a brewery party attended on Saturday by more than 6,000 visitors from the region. A fanfare and show orchestra, beer quiz an penny arcade for children provided entertainment. In the evening, the fireworks created an awe-inspiring night sky. “We are overwhelmed that so many people celebrated with us. Our gratitude goes to all visitors for this wonderful party and to everyone who helped with the preparations for it,” states Jörg Dierig. Managing Director at the Gotha site. The brewery thanked its employees on the Friday in a separate ceremony.
