Revitalization of City Centre Rietberg Through Book Trade Businesses
In the heart of Rietberg, Germany, a vibrant transformation is underway. The city is making a concerted effort to attract bookstores and encourage community engagement, with the recent opening of a new bookstore being a significant step forward.
Martina Bergmann, a self-employed bookseller for two years, has moved her store to Rathausstraße 45, previously a small inn. The inn's windows have been replaced with bright shop windows, now showcasing an array of books that invite passersby to step inside.
The new bookstore is more than just a place to buy books; it's a hub for encounters and reading promotion, as Martina Bergmann emphasizes. The store's unique offer, enriching the city center, has been praised by Andreas Sunder, the CDU candidate for district administrator, who was part of a discussion round at the industry meeting about the relevance of bookstores in city centers.
The discussion also included Ina Laukoetter, who advocates for more independent retailers who stand behind their passion, and Volker Petri, the managing director of the German Publishers and Booksellers Association. They all agree that strengthening public presence means creating visibility to enable collective efforts.
Rietberg's city centers are becoming more attractive for shops, thanks to initiatives like these. Cities are responsible for making their city centers more inviting, as Volker Petri believes. To achieve this, Rietberg is hosting cultural events and book festivals, supporting independent bookstores, integrating them with community spaces, and promoting local literature and authors.
These strategies contribute to community engagement by making bookstores a focal point for cultural life, encouraging social interaction, and supporting literacy and lifelong learning. The new bookstore in Rietberg, along with the association's clubhouse and a carnival float, are testament to the city's commitment to fostering a strong local culture around books and reading.
In addition, Andreas Sunder stresses the importance of creating experiences around the purchase of books to compete with online trade. By offering more than just books, Rietberg's bookstores are becoming destinations where people can gather, read, and socialize, making them irreplaceable in a city, as Andreas Sunder describes the book trade.
With the release of Martina Bergmann's novel, reminiscent of her personal success story, in about two weeks, the literary scene in Rietberg is poised for growth and engagement. The city's strategies to attract bookstores and enhance community engagement are proving effective, and as more initiatives emerge, Rietberg is set to become a thriving literary hub.
- Martina Bergmann's unique bookstore, now nestled in Rathausstraße 45, is not only a business but also a lifestyle destination that fosters community engagement and reading promotion, as emphasized by Martina herself.
- Volker Petri, the managing director of the German Publishers and Booksellers Association, touts the importance of city centers becoming more appealing to shops such as bookstores, as this creates visibility and enables collective efforts to strengthen public presence.
- The new bookstore in Rietberg, alongside its association's clubhouse and a carnival float, signifies the city's commitment to fostering a home-and-garden for literature and reading, as well as a small-business environment that encourages shopping and social interaction.
