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Sales in the Benko empire: Among other things, Signa doormats are being auctioned off

Photo: Aurena

After bankruptcies in the empire of the Austrian entrepreneur René Benko, the insolvency administrator turns the inventory into money.

The insolvent holding company of the real estate and trading group Signa began auctioning off its office equipment on Friday in order to make a – rather manageable – contribution to the continued existence of the holding company.

According to the dpa news agency, the auction hammer fell at 1,600 euros for a doormat with the Signa logo.

The “FAZ” reported that a similar copy was even sold for 2,265 euros.

According to dpa, a set with toilet brush holders, toilet paper holders and trash cans from the noble holding headquarters in Vienna's city center was worth 600 euros to a bidder.

The winning bid for an office cactus was 220 euros.

A total of almost 300 items were auctioned.

Other Signa auctions are still ongoing.

The souvenirs of the Signa Group of the Austrian entrepreneur René Benko could have historical value: the holding's liabilities amount to around five billion euros - making it the largest bankruptcy in Austria's post-war history.

After a strong growth phase during the years of low interest rates, Signa recently found itself in a serious crisis due to rising interest rates, construction costs and energy prices.

Elbtower model at auction

On Friday it was announced that the owner of the Elbtower property in Hamburg, which belongs to Signa, has filed for insolvency.

The urban development authority announced that the city of Hamburg could now assert its right of repurchase and take over all planning and construction contracts.

However, a private sector solution is initially expected.

In mid-December, logistics billionaire Klaus-Michael Kühne tried to formulate conditions for the Hanseatic city for a possible entry.

However, a building model of the Elbtower will be offered to the public at another Signa auction at the beginning of February.

The current highest bid on Friday was 2,200 euros.

kko/dpa