HALLE/WESTFALEN, September 25, 2020

Gerhard Weber, the founder of German fashion retailer GERRY WEBER as well as the GERRY WEBER OPEN in Halle/Westphalia, has died at the age of 79.

He passed away in the night between 23 and 24 of September, the company announced in a press release on Thursday. “In the name of all of our employees, we express our deepest condolences to the family of Gerhard Weber,” said CEO Alexander Gedat. “With tremendous gratitude and respect we commemorate a highly regarded entrepreneur and mourn a deeply impressive character.”

The business was established in March 1973 as Hatex KG by Udo Hardieck and Gerhard Weber, primarily known for its ladies’ collections. Next to his sense for fashion, Weber was known for his bold ideas. One of his biggest coups was signing then 17-year-old Steffi Graf in 1986 as brand ambassador for GERRY WEBER.

In June 1993 followed another decisive step, which made GERRY WEBER world-famous: The launch of the GERRY WEBER OPEN held inside the Gerry Weber Stadium (now OWL Arena) with a retractable roof and a capacity of 11,500 seats. Still the tennis world elite meets once a year in North Rhine-Westphalia to prepare for Wimbledon. The tournament is played on four outdoor grass courts and is a part of the ATP Tour 500 series. It is currently sponsored by Noventi. Between 1993 and 2018 it was sponsored by GERRY WEBER.

In 2011, Gerhard Weber was honored by the leading fashion sector outlet “TextilWirtschaft” for his life’s work.