Together for Humanity – Supporting Sterneninsel
Yesterday, we had the privilege of presenting a donation cheque of €4,000 to Sterneninsel, the outpatient children’s and youth hospice service for Pforzheim and the Enzkreis region.
Our board members Bernd Augenstein and Timo Müller were warmly welcomed by Mr. Gieske and Ms. Söder. In personal conversations, we gained deep insights into the daily work of Sterneninsel – work that truly moved us. It became powerfully clear how vital this support is for families facing serious illness, dying, and grief.
Sterneninsel accompanies families with great respect for their personal space and life circumstances. They offer closeness, time, and compassionate care – regardless of religion or worldview. With a team of seven full-time and more than 40 volunteer staff members, they support families often over many years: from the moment of diagnosis, throughout the illness, during end-of-life care, and beyond death.
We were particularly impressed by the sensitivity and humanity with which children, adolescents, and adults are supported through their grief. Every family has its own story – whether shaped by serious illness, sudden loss, or other tragic circumstances. Sterneninsel is there to listen, to stay, and to endure alongside them.
At Bauer Walser, taking social responsibility is close to our hearts. We are grateful and proud to contribute to ensuring that Sterneninsel can continue its invaluable and essential work.
Our heartfelt thanks go to the entire Sterneninsel team for your dedication, your compassion, and your big hearts.
A Home for Life – The Bauer-Walser House Has Opened
After nearly two years of construction, the Bauer-Walser House at Kaiser-Wilhelm-Straße 10 in Pforzheim was officially inaugurated. The modern residential building with 40 barrier-free apartments will offer senior citizens the opportunity to live independently while still being well cared for.
The developer and owner of the new building is the Evangelical Deaconess Association Siloah, which is setting a strong example for modern senior living with this project.
The house was created in close cooperation with the Bauer Walser Foundation, which will support the project with annual financial contributions over the next 20 years. This ensures long-term stability and secures the building’s social sustainability.
“How do we want to live in old age?”
This question was the starting point for the planning, explains Peter Quaschner, Managing Director of the Evangelical Deaconess Association Siloah.
“With the Bauer-Walser House, we are creating a home that enables independence while offering security—tailored to individual needs.”
The 32 one-room and 8 two-room apartments are barrier-free, bright, and welcoming. Each has its own kitchen; those who wish can flexibly book meals, care services, or household support. A home care service is available around the clock.
In addition to the private apartments, the building offers plenty of space for community: In the common room with a fireplace lounge, shared meals, events, and conversations will take place in the future. The outdoor area with a terrace, raised garden beds, and Kneipp pool invites residents to linger and creates a connection to the neighboring Heim am Hachel.
Architect Stephanie Biros describes the project’s guiding principle perfectly:
“It shouldn’t look like a care facility—but like a home. And we achieved that.”
For the Bauer Walser Foundation, the project aligns with its mission: to support people in special life situations and to assume social responsibility.
Karlheinz Karner, Chairman of the Foundation, emphasizes:
“The Bauer-Walser House represents what matters to us: quality of life, dignity, and community—even in old age. We are delighted to support and accompany this house in the long term.”
With the opening of the Bauer-Walser House, a place that inspires hope is being created:
A home that connects generations and shows what the future of aging can look like—self-determined, safe, and humane.
A strong signal for the future: Bauer Walser AG takes over Degussa's Sonne/Mond Scheideanstalt GmbH
Keltern / Pforzheim, 1 July 2025 – Bauer Walser AG will take over Sonne/Mond Scheideanstalt GmbH from Degussa Goldhandel GmbH on 1 July 2025 and will continue to run the long-established company as an independent subsidiary. The location in Pforzheim and the experienced team will be fully retained - a clear commitment to continuity, trust and future prospects.
With this acquisition, Bauer Walser is setting a significant milestone in its more than 100-year company history. The move is part of a long-term strategy: the targeted strengthening of recycling and processing expertise, the expansion of the service portfolio and the consistent expansion of the company's presence in one of Europe's most traditional precious metal regions.
‘Sonne/Mond Scheideanstalt stands for experience, expertise and customer proximity - values that have always guided us at Bauer Walser,’ explains Bernd Augenstein, CEO of Bauer Walser AG. "With this takeover, we are taking our extensive recycling services to a new level. We are not just taking over a company, but an established identity that we want to develop further with respect, responsibility and a spirit of innovation - for the clear benefit of our customers."
Degussa Goldhandel GmbH is also looking to the future of the company with confidence: ‘In Bauer Walser AG, we have found a partner who not only shares our values, but also has the expertise and passion to successfully lead Sonne/Mond Scheideanstalt into the next era,’ emphasises Mark Sommer, CFO of Degussa.
The handover is part of Degussa's strategic realignment, which in future will focus more strongly on expanding its six international core areas - including investment products, the purchase of old gold, gold savings plans and storage and safe deposit box solutions. Degussa will continue to operate the sales office in Pforzheim at its familiar location.
For Bauer Walser, the move is far more than a purely economic decision. ‘This takeover is a powerful signal for our strategic orientation,’ says Timo Müller, CEO of Bauer Walser AG. "It strengthens our market position, significantly expands our range of services - especially in recycling - and will offer our customers even more customised, high-performance solutions in the future. Above all, however, it symbolises our deep trust in our shared future - together with our new colleagues in Pforzheim."
For existing customers of Sonne/Mond Scheideanstalt, much will remain familiar. They will also benefit from an expanded range of services, the technological strength of the Bauer Walser Group and the ambition to continue setting standards in quality, service and responsibility in the future.
With heart and commitment: Bauer-Walser AG supports important social projects
Once again this year, Bauer-Walser AG has demonstrated that social commitment is an integral part of our corporate culture. In December, two organisations received a donation of €3,000 each: Lebenshilfe Pforzheim Enzkreis e.V., specifically the Montessori children's home project, and Sterneninsel e.V..
Instead of investing in material gifts for customers, we deliberately decided not to give them gifts. We wanted to make a contribution to the common good - and help where support is urgently needed.
The Montessori Children's House in Pforzheim, which is run by Lebenshilfe, is much more than just a day care centre. Here, the child with all its individual needs takes centre stage. Maria Montessori's pedagogy helps the youngest children to develop into self-confident and responsible personalities. This integrative facility creates a space for diversity and mutual respect - values that are also close to our hearts.
Sterneninsel e.V., the outpatient children's and youth hospice service for Pforzheim and the Enzkreis region, does invaluable work for families in difficult times. With a team of full-time and volunteer staff, it provides closeness, comfort and support in moments when they are most urgently needed. It offers support, regardless of religion or ideology, and helps those affected to organise the time they have with dignity and love.
We are proud to be able to make a small contribution to these outstanding projects with our donations. Together we can make a difference and help those who need our support the most. Our thanks go to the dedicated people behind these initiatives, whose efforts give hope and prospects every day.
