ORCO-GSG provides support to the creative workshop of the Carnival of Cultures in Berlin

The Carnival of Cultures is one of the many aspects that make Berlin the unique metropolis it is, and characterize the district of Kreuzberg. This is where ORCO-GSG has its roots. As the sole privately-owned major sponsor of the carnival, ORCO-GSG will continue its tradition of making available to the artists 800 square meters of studios, training facilities and workshop spaces for their preparations.

“We support the societal engagement of the Workshop of Cultures, because we feel that creative ideas need to have some space within which they can develop and unfold”, said Rainer Bormann, managing director of ORCO-GSG. “That is why we were very happy to assist them this year again.”
May 9th through 12th of 2008 will see people from all over the world dancing through the streets of Kreuzberg in colorful costumes and strange masks. That will be the result of several weeks of hard work done in the ORCO-GSG-HOF commercial courtyard at Köpenicker Strasse 154. Putting together the equipment and practicing the dance routines are just a few of the tasks that need to be done in order to make the event a memorable one for the spectators. “The Carnival of Cultures is a true hallmark of Berlin”, Bormann continued. “Its participants from all over the world, its dynamics, its variety and creativity are aspects that ORCO-GSG shares, as do its approximately 1,200 commercial tenants and their 12,000 employees.”

In fact, ORCO-GSG has its roots in Kreuzberg: It is here that the company was founded 43 years ago, and it is here that more than half of the 45 courtyards of small commercial enterprises are located that make up some of the 850,000 m2 of office spaces and commercial areas that Berlin’s leading provider owns. “We feel very strongly connected to the district, which means that we are very happy to commit ourselves to cultural projects and in many other fields as well”, stated Bormann. “In addition to the carnival, we support start-ups and companies just embarking on their activities by providing them with special floors in our buildings that they can move into. We organize networking events and we promote activities by the district administration that benefit companies in Kreuzberg.” A good price-performance ratio and targeted information and coaching events round off ORCO’s services.

ORCO-GSG
ORCO Germany expanded its portfolio of properties in Berlin in June of 2007 by taking over Gewerbesiedlungs-Gesellschaft (GSG); the company now manages more than 1 million square meters of developed and undeveloped areas in the German capital. GSG was established in 1965 and is the largest owner of commercial space in Berlin with about 850,000 square meters of office and multifunctional space. ORCO-GSG owns 45 so-called commercial courtyards and centers, as well as 235 residential units. Most of the properties are located in the city center with excellent connections to the Berlin public transportation network.

ORCO Germany
ORCO Germany S.A. is a real estate company that has its registered seat in Luxembourg and that is listed in the Prime Standard on the Regulated Market of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. The ORCO Germany group, which operates under the uniform registered trademark ORCO Germany, has been pursuing its activities in Germany since 2004 and concentrates on residential and commercial properties as well as on asset management and project development. ORCO Germany currently employs about 210 members of staff in Germany.
In 2006, ORCO Germany strategically reinforced its project development operations by acquiring Viterra Development. Viterra Development was renamed ORCO Projektentwicklung GmbH at the beginning of 2008 and is one of the leading project developers and investors specializing in commercial and residential properties in the core German markets of Berlin, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg and Munich. ORCO Germany expanded its portfolio of properties in Berlin in June of 2007 by taking over Gewerbesiedlungs-Gesellschaft (GSG); the company now manages more than 1 million square meters of developed and undeveloped areas in the German capital. GSG was established in 1965 and is the largest owner of commercial space in Berlin with about 850,000 square meters of office and multifunctional space. ORCO-GSG owns 45 so-called commercial courtyards and centers, as well as 235 residential units. Most of the properties are located in the city center with excellent connections to the Berlin public transportation network.
ORCO Germany S.A. is a subsidiary of ORCO Property Group, one of the leading Central European real estate firms holding a portfolio worth EUR 2.4 billion (as evaluated on December 31st, 2007). Established in 1991, the company has its registered seat in Luxembourg and is listed on the Euronext, Prague, Budapest and Warsaw stock exchanges. It operates primarily in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Russia, Croatia, the Slovak Republic and Germany.
By switching from the Open Market, where ORCO Germany S.A. had been listed since 2006, to the Regulated Market (Prime Standard) in November of 2007, ORCO Germany has demonstrated that it is implementing a capital market strategy consistent with its rapid operating growth of recent years. By meeting the most exacting standards of transparency in place at the German Stock Exchange, ORCO Germany S.A. has improved its accessibility to capital market players even further.

Contact
ORCO Germany
Sabrina Eilers
Head of Marketing & Communications
Telephone: +49. 30. 440 123 190
E-Mail seilers@orcogroup.com
http://www.orcogermany.de/