An ATM has now been installed again in the Schwanenhof passage. It was removed after an attempted break-in in January. Soon it will be the only banking facility in the community.
As early as March 2022, an attempt had been made to crack the ATM installed in a covered area on the outside wall of the former Sparkasse branch. At that time it was only slightly damaged and could be put into operation again after a few weeks.
In January of this year, however, the damage was significantly greater: Unknown persons tore the machine out of its anchorages with a vehicle. Attempts to load him into a station wagon failed, however, as residents were awakened by the noise. The perpetrators noticed that their activities had been discovered and fled without the machine.
The damaged Cardpoint machine was then removed. A quick replacement was not procured. A set-up date scheduled for mid-March could not be kept. The Sparkasse announced that necessary construction work had been delayed. At Easter, however, the ATM could go back into operation at the same place.
The ATM can now be used free of charge not only by customers of the Sparkasse, but also by those of the Volksbank. According to the Sparkasse Freiburg-Nördlicher Breisgau, the Volksbank Breisgau-Nord was won as a cooperation partner for this ATM location. On their behalf, the original ATM 2021 was set up by Cardpoint in the passage near Schwanenhof. At that time, the Sparkasse had closed its branch in the Schwanenhof complex. In the end it was only run as a self-service area, with a statement printer and an ATM.
The fact that the Volksbank Breisgau-Nord is now also participating in the use of the reinstalled ATM is due to the cooperative bank’s own closure plans. Because she will completely close her office on Hauptstrasse Eichstetten, which has been open for a total of 13.5 hours on Mondays and Thursdays, at the end of May. The decisive factor for the decision was the sharp drop in customer frequency in the two branches in recent years, explained bank spokesman Udo Deutscher when asked in February. “There were days with only three booking processes,” says Deutscher. The use of the self-service service had also declined, and there were hardly any agreed consultation appointments on other operating days. On the other hand, the office has operating and energy costs, which have risen sharply. All of this together led to the conclusion that it made no sense for the Volksbank to continue operating.
Michael Bruder, Mayor of Eichstetten, confirmed that he was informed of the intention to close at the beginning of February. “The two bank directors came to see me in person,” he explained. Of course, it is clear to him that in times of online banking, the number of customers in the branch will decrease. However, it is important that there is a reliable supply of cash locally.
With the ATM at Schwanenhof, Volksbank customers can now withdraw cash free of charge. Of course, this only applies to banknotes; Anyone who needs coins as change will have to rely on the Volksbank branches in the surrounding area, for example in Bötzingen or Teningen, from the end of May. And according to Michael Bruder, the need for coins is great: “Our farmers, who sell directly and go to markets, are dependent on it.”
