IN BRIEF
The German manufacturer Böttcher Fahrräder, whose history goes back to 1851, is in preliminary insolvency proceedings. On 7 October, the Meldorf court appointed lawyer Vanja Alexander Kovacev, of the law firm CMS, as preliminary administrator. Business continues without restriction and the salaries of the nearly 100 employees are secured for three months. An investor search process, launched before the filing, is continuing.
After Accell’s difficulties, another historic name of the European bicycle industry is going before a court. Böttcher Fahrräder, based in northern Germany, manufactures and distributes bicycles, and traces its history back to a workshop founded in 1851.
Böttcher Fahrräder: preliminary insolvency, business continues
In a decision of 7 October 2026, Meldorf Local Court appointed Vanja Alexander Kovacev, a lawyer at the international law firm CMS, as preliminary administrator of the assets of Böttcher Fahrräder GmbH. The CMS press release states that the company, whose registered office is in Wesseln, near Heide, in Dithmarschen, will continue business operations “in full and without restriction”.
The press release says the salaries of the nearly 100 employees are initially secured for three months by Insolvenzgeld, the German insolvency benefit. Hauke Niemann, director of Böttcher Fahrräder GmbH, says the company does not currently anticipate any delays in processing existing orders, and that it will welcome its customers and accept new orders at the upcoming Böttcher Bike Days.
A history going back to 1851, a brand relaunched this year
The press release describes Böttcher as “one of Germany’s longest-standing bicycle manufacturers”: the company traces its origins to a workshop founded in 1851. It manufactures bicycles and is also active in wholesale, mainly with commercial customers. Its 2025 turnover amounts to around €18.1 million.
The brand, written BOETTCHER, was relaunched this year, with a range developed around customisable bicycles and fully equipped models.
Investors wanted
Management had initiated extensive restructuring measures before filing, in particular launching a structured investor process. “We can build on this right away,” explains Vanja Alexander Kovacev, who describes Böttcher as “an internationally renowned German bicycle brand with a long corporate history”. The press release states that this process is supported by a team from the firm enomyc, led by Tim Bauer, Otto Rantzau and Peter Kink.
Before the proceedings, Böttcher was advised by lawyers Niklas Marwedel and Christian Mikolajczak, of the restructuring law firm SJPP.
