# Handelsorganisation

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Handelsorganisation Industry Retail, hotels, dining, industrial goods Founded 1948 Defunct 1990 Number of locations 35,000 (1960) Owner Government of the German Democratic Republic

People outside the opening of the first HO Department Store in Berlin in November 1948

The **Handelsorganisation** (“Trading Organisation”, or HO) was a national [retail](/source/Retail) business owned by the central administration of the [Soviet Zone of occupation in Germany](/source/Soviet_Zone_of_occupation_in_Germany) and from 1949 on by the state of the [German Democratic Republic](/source/German_Democratic_Republic). It was created in 1948. The enterprise was arranged into different departments – industrial goods, food, restaurants and department stores – and operated the large “Centrum” [department stores](/source/Department_store) in many cities of the GDR.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*] Its stores stood in competition to those of the [Konsum](/source/Konsum_(East_Germany)) cooperative. Nevertheless, both were established brands in the everyday life in the GDR. The HO also operated hotels. After the political turmoil in the GDR in the years 1989 and 1990 the business was sold by the [Treuhand](/source/Treuhand) trust.[1]

## See also

- [Economy of the German Democratic Republic](/source/Economy_of_the_German_Democratic_Republic)

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["Shops and department stores in the GDR: The »Handelsorganisation« (HO)"](https://www.ddr-museum.de/en/blog/2016/shops-and-department-stores-in-the-gdr-the-handelsorganisation-ho). *[DDR Museum](/source/DDR_Museum)*. 2016-11-17. Retrieved 2024-01-11.

v t e Organizations of the German Democratic Republic Mass organizations with representation in the Volkskammer Free German Trade Union Federation (1946–90) Free German Youth (1936–present) Democratic Women's Federation of Germany (1947–90) Cultural Association of the GDR (1945–90) Peasants Mutual Aid Association (1945–90) Other organizations within the National Front Society for German–Soviet Friendship People's Solidarity German Gymnastics and Sports Federation Sport and Technology Association Ernst Thälmann Pioneer Organisation Association of Gardeners, Settlers, and Animal Breeders Writers' Association of the GDR GDR Union of Journalists Handelsorganisation Konsum Domowina Urania East Germany portal Politics of East Germany Political parties in East Germany

Authority control databases GND

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