Rudolph Karstadt

Rudolph Karstadt (16 February 1856 – 15 December 1944 in Schwerin) was a German entrepreneur.

Karstadt was born in Grevesmühlen near Lübeck on 16 February 1856, he apprenticed in Rostock and then worked in his father’s textile shop in Schwerin.

[1] With a loan of 1000 thaler from his father and with the help of his two sisters, Karstadt opened his first store, ″Tuch-, Manufaktur- und Konfektionsgeschäft" at the Krämerstr.

[2] In 1919 Karstadt AG and Theodor Althoff KG merged.

The Karstadt Warenhaus AG, which is what his chain of stores was called by 1920, continues as Arcandor.

Rudolph Karstadt plaque at the first Karstadt department store in Wismar
Exlibris Karstadt