The professor passed away on January 3, 2024 Guenther Fielmann. The entrepreneur died at the age of 84 at his residence in Luetjensee, northern Germany, surrounded by his family. The founder of Fielmann Group and longtime chairman of the board had a clear vision and long-term plan for his succession. In 2012 he secured the decisive influence of the Fielmann family for future generations by transferring the majority share of the Fielmann Group to a family foundation. Over the next eight years he gradually handed over responsibility to his son Marc Fielmann.
In 2019, the year of his 80th birthday, Guenther Fielmann entrusted the leadership of the company to his son. “Professor Fielmann was one of the German entrepreneurs of the century and a visionary. With a strategic vision, a clear focus on customer needs and an unparalleled commitment to society, he has shaped the German economy far beyond the boundaries of the eyeglass and hearing aid industry,” the professor Mark BinzChairman of the Supervisory Board of Fielmann Group.
“The heartfelt thoughts of our over 23 thousand employees in Europe, Asia and the United States are addressed to Guenther Fielmann’s family – we read in the note issued by the company -. Our condolences and deepest condolences go to her family, friends and classmates. Together we will always remember Guenther Fielmann for his customer-oriented philosophy, his creative energy and his visionary spirit as a pioneer of the optical industry.”
Guenther Fielmann opened his first store in Cuxhaven in 1972 and was the first optical retailer to openly display frames, provide free service and offer extensive warranties. In 2024, the Fielmann Group has approximately one thousand retail stores and is the third largest company in the sector worldwide.
Guenther Fielmann has been widely recognized for both his business and charitable services at the local, state and federal levels.
For decades, the Fielmann Group has been socially responsible and committed to the communities in which it operates. The family company is active in protecting the environment, contributes to the maintenance of artistic and historical monuments, supports kindergartens and schools, finances youth sports and since 1986 has planted a tree for each employee every year, for a total of over 1, 7 million trees and bushes. The Fielmann family has supported cultural events such as the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival for many years, opens their family estate Gut Schierensee to the public for ecumenical functions during the Christmas season, finances medical and scientific research institutions and supports Germany’s public museums .
The Fielmann family, represented by Guenther Fielmann’s children, Sophie and Marc, founded the Fielmann Charitable Foundation this week.