Celebrating 160 Years Berliner!
On May 16th, we hosted a festive anniversary gala at one of our production facilities in the Reinickendorf district of Berlin. The evening was dedicated to celebrating three major milestones in our company’s history: 160 years of Berliner, 70 years of rope play equipment, and 30 years as a family-owned business. We were delighted to welcome around 400 guests from politics, business, the media, and the leisure industry to this special event.
Right at the entrance, guests were greeted by a brand-new innovation from our product portfolio: the Villago Beach rope playhouse in a stylish beach house design, ready to be climbed on and explored.
At the champagne reception and the accompanying exhibition on the company’s history, our guests were able to trace the impressive development of our business – from its beginnings as a rope-making company in the 19th century to its current status as a global full-service provider of customised playground solutions.
The official opening of the event was conducted by the Governing Mayor of Berlin, Kai Wegner. In his speech, he particularly emphasised our long-standing commitment to the city of Berlin as well as our dedication to craftsmanship.
The evening continued with personal reflections from Karl Köhler, followed by insights and outlooks from David and Julia Köhler, who, together with Ferry Girra, lead our family business into the second generation with great dedication.
David Köhler paid tribute to the courage of his father, who invested in the company in 1995 — a time of great change following the fall of the Berlin Wall. He also offered a glimpse into the future of our company.
Two live bands and a DJ provided the musical backdrop for the evening, transforming the gala into a great party. One of the bands even featured Karl and David Köhler on stage — spreading joy through music and getting our guests dancing.
“This anniversary not only highlights what we have achieved so far, but also what is still possible in the decades to come”, emphasised David Köhler. “We look forward to continuing to create unique spaces for play, movement and connection — together with our employees and partners.”
