Overview
- Prosecutors in Hildesheim opened an investigation after Bocholt reported the loss and named the upholstery firm’s chief as the accused.
- The missing chairs are original 1970s red folding seats that the city sent to a Hannover-based restorer that later stopped responding to messages.
- City officials say early work was verified, including recoated metal frames and reviewed sample cushions, before contact with the contractor ceased.
- Bocholt says no insurance will pay for the loss because it falls under a general business risk for such contracts.
- To keep the Rathaus/Bühnenhaus project on schedule, the city is moving to buy replacement seating, with the final budget impact still unknown.