The world meets in Görlitz!
The tables are set. The kitchen is slowly heating up, and the first hungry customers are already entering the "Horschel" restaurant. Today, they are exceptionally greeted by the two owners. It quickly becomes clear to the guests that the European city concept is truly lived here! Bas Dankers, co-owner and co-managing director of the restaurant, hails from Amsterdam, while Dawid Wojciechowski, the manager, was born in neighboring Poland. It's not uncommon for guests to ask, with curiosity, how both men came to live in Görlitz.
For Bas Dankers, it was indeed love that drew him to Görlitz. Until the age of 18, he lived with his parents in Amsterdam. During this time, he traveled extensively with his family throughout Europe and even to America; the allure of foreign lands proved incredibly strong. At 18, he fulfilled his dream of more sunshine and emigrated to Gran Canaria, where he worked in the tourism industry. After a year and a half, he returned to Amsterdam. Following a stint as a telephone salesman in the financial sector, Bas Dankers, at 25, began his career in the restaurant industry, working as a server or behind the bar in a small but quite successful restaurant in Amsterdam. He spent several months each year in Brazil. In Amsterdam, he then experienced the classic success story of going from waiter to manager. Bas Dankers brought the restaurant into the official top 10 in Amsterdam and counted an artist from Görlitz, who was studying in Amsterdam, among his regular customers. This is how he ultimately came to Görlitz and met the owner of the Hotel Emmerich. Together, they developed the Horschel plans. In 2019, the time had come, and with this step it was clear: Görlitz had won! Even during his first stay in the city on the Neisse River, the Dutch globetrotter sensed Görlitz's potential and discovered a niche for himself in the field of upscale gastronomy.
Dawid Wojciechowski was also convinced by this concept and joined the company in 2022. It had still been a long journey from his birthplace, Zgorzelec, to Görlitz: even as a child, David dreamed of the "golden West." The day the Berlin Wall fell is deeply etched in his memory; "that day was so wonderful." David trained as a hotel manager in Zgorzelec. After an initial internship at a hotel in Görlitz, family connections brought him to Frankfurt am Main. Following his first job at an Italian restaurant, he got the opportunity to work at the prestigious Weidemann Restaurant. There, he learned all facets of fine dining and worked his way up to restaurant manager. After a two-and-a-half-year stint as food and beverage director at the largest Eastern European hotel on the Schneekoppe mountain, he returned to Frankfurt am Main, where he worked for five years as a service manager in a French brasserie. However, his family called him back to his old home. David spent a year helping his sister establish a restaurant in Görlitz's old town. After that, he moved back to Frankfurt am Main to work at "Franziska," a rooftop restaurant in the elegant Henninger Tower. "I had literally reached the top," Dawid still raves about this location, unique in Germany. When he learned of his mother's serious illness, he quickly returned to Zgorzelec. It was to be a new turning point in his life: he met the love of his life and took on the challenge of "Horschel.".
And when asked how they feel about Görlitz after their successful careers in top-tier properties in the metropolises of Frankfurt and Amsterdam, both respond spontaneously: "What's crucial are the opportunities for self-realization and quality of life. Görlitz scores highly in both areas." Particularly noteworthy are the natural international atmosphere in the tri-border region, the proximity to the world cities of Berlin, Prague, and Wrocław, the diverse range of excursion options, the natural surroundings of Görlitz, and the short distances. But above all, it's this fundamental sense of coziness—a counterpoint to the constant hustle and bustle of big cities—that contributes to the high quality of life here. The people are still approachable, and the work-related annual rhythm makes it possible to have more time for oneself and family.
Could they imagine moving away from Görlitz? "We've considered it and concluded that Görlitz is the best place for our child," says Dawid Wojciechowski. Bas Dankers confirms: The work-life balance here is perfect. Sure, a bit more nightlife would be nice, but he's very confident that the city will continue to develop! "Top entrepreneurs from Frankfurt am Main are regular guests at Horschel," adds David. As mentioned, the (business) world already enjoys meeting in Görlitz!
Text & Photos: THE PARTNERS
