Alios Eckstein and family - Central department store

In 1907, Alois Eckstein, born in 1883 near Marienbad, acquired an old building in a corner location in Potschappel to open his own department store. Eckstein had previously worked as an employee in Dresden. His store opened on September 27, 1907 and offered a wide range of goods. As there were previously only a few large shopping opportunities for the growing population of the Düren basin, Eckstein quickly generated large profits, so that he had a more representative and larger building erected from June 1913. The old department store was initially demolished, followed in December by the opening of the new Central department store. This extended over several floors and still offered gift items of all kinds for the Christmas trade.

During the First World War, Eckstein was called up for military service, during which time his wife ran the business. After 1924, the business situation improved again, partly due to inflation at the beginning of the decade, and Eckstein had up to 45 employees. When the National Socialists came to power, the Jewish Eckstein family soon had to flee Germany. The department store was taken over by Herbert Dahl. After the end of the Second World War, the HO took over the building, opened a shop in January 1949 and the HO department store Magnet in 1952. Prior to this, extensions were made to the building in the direction of the railroad tracks.

From: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central-Kaufhaus