Company off - Why with Robben & Wientjes a piece of Berlin disappears

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Robben & Wientjes, die legendäre Autovermietung, die seit 1978 in Berlin ansässig ist, gehört seit 2018 endgültig der Vergangenheit an. Bekannt für ihre Pritschenwagen und Lkw mit dem charakteristischen Robben-Logo, war das Unternehmen mehr als nur ein Dienstleister. Die Fahrzeuge von Robben & Wientjes gehörten zum Stadtbild der Hauptstadt wie das Wort „Robbe“ zur Berliner Sprache. Früher war es in Berlin üblich, innerhalb der Stadt umzuziehen. Es gab genügend freien Wohnraum, der für die meisten erschwinglich war. Doch heutzutage hat sich die Situation drastisch geändert. Umzüge innerhalb der Stadt sind teuer geworden und viele können sie sich nicht mehr leisten. …
Robben & Wientjes, the legendary car rental company, which has been based in Berlin since 1978, has finally been a thing of the past since 2018. The company was more than just a service provider known for their platform truck and truck with the characteristic seal logo. The vehicles from Robben & Wientjes were part of the cityscape of the capital, such as the word "Robbe" to the Berlin language. In the past, it was common in Berlin to move within the city. There was enough free living space that was affordable for most. But nowadays the situation has changed drastically. Moving within the city has become expensive and many can no longer afford. ... (Symbolbild/MB)

Robben & Wientjes, the legendary car rental company, which has been based in Berlin since 1978, has finally been a thing of the past since 2018. The company was more than just a service provider known for their platform truck and truck with the characteristic seal logo. The vehicles from Robben & Wientjes were part of the cityscape of the capital, like the word "Robbe" for the Berlin language.

In the past, it was common in Berlin to move within the city. There was enough free living space that was affordable for most. But nowadays the situation has changed drastically. Moving within the city has become expensive and many can no longer afford. Either people hardly have anything to transport because apartments in Berlin are getting smaller and more expensive, or they have so much money that they have the move organized by a "relocation" agency. The rent of a "seal" has become superfluous in this context and the company has now finally disappeared from the scene after it was taken over by Buchbinder in 2018.

The two founders of Robben & Wientjes, Dietmar Robben and Wolfgang Wientjes, had continuously expanded their company based in Berlin-Kreuzberg. It was important to them to buy company plots instead of renting in order to be able to grow sustainably. This approach ultimately led to a fleet of almost 1,000 vehicles, which covered around 50 million kilometers each year.

A license plate from Robben & Wientjes was also their analog planning methods. The booking was made by phone in the branches, where you could feel the typical atmosphere of the rental directly. The employees still smoked in public areas, the coffee always looked the same and important information was recorded in oversized calendars and lists. Although it often appeared on the phone that it would be difficult to get a free van, customers were almost always helped.

Another special feature of Robben & Wientjes was the relationship between the employees and the customers. While the employees were often treated like kings, customers were only customers. In order to impress the employees, one could try to put the high deposit on the table as casually as possible or to give answers as if you already knew how everything worked. After the successful move, the van could then be brought back to the yard and almost felt like Manfred Krug in "Auf axis", who had delivered an important freight on time.

Unfortunately, the seals have now finally disappeared from the cityscape. The former rental stations were sold and the vehicles are no longer available. A chapter -rich part of Berlin's history has ended.