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At the age of 80, Elisabeth Miller runs the “Aktivermanns” department store in Fulda. Her story is full of surprises and inspiring twists.
Fulda – Elisabeth Miller is 80 years young and has been the manager of the department store “Aktivermanns – Möbel und mehr” on Robert-Kircher-Straße in Fulda for over a year. The spry, un-retired pensioner is the face of the German Red Cross social department store, which has been in existence since November 2016.
But how do you end up managing a department store? When asked this question, Elisabeth Miller smiles mischievously: “I like being with people, and just sitting behind the stove and watching daily soaps on television is not my world.” Miller has been involved in volunteer work for many years. First she collected donations for aid to Romania.
At the beginning there is a report in the Fuldaer Zeitung
During the wave of refugees from Syria and Afghanistan in 2015, she found out from a report in the Fuldaer Zeitung that 50 pairs of men's shoes were needed for accommodation at the Michaelshof in Unterbernhards. Instead of driving to Romania, she packed the shoes in her trunk and drove to Michaelshof.
Before she knew it, the footwear was sold. A few months later she was asked whether she had children's clothing and women's shoes in her range. Back at Michaelshof, the manager, Bernhard Bormann, offered her a basement room – and that's how the story began.
We are not a garbage disposal. Waste has no place with us.
With great attention to detail, Miller set up a boutique with used clothing and household items – made up of donations from his personal circle of friends. At the beginning it opened its doors twice a week, later only once a week – until March 30, 2025.
As early as February 2025, the members of the DRK management came to Michaelshof to inspect the structure of the farm. They also looked at Elisabeth Miller's boutique. Since it was already clear at that time that the Michaelshof would close its doors on April 30th, those responsible at the DRK asked what Miller would do then.
Phone numbers were exchanged and conversations were held just two days later. Elisabeth Miller started working on April 1, 2025, when she was almost 80 years old. She can be found in the store Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. At that time she had the donations from Michaelshof with her in her luggage – goods worth around 10,000 euros – and also lots of ideas for designing the “Everyman”.
Treasures come to light through household clearances
With a team consisting of full-time and part-time employees, volunteers and FSJ volunteers – a total of ten women – she literally turned the store upside down and gave it a structure. Today this is divided into different departments: porcelain, glass, men's, women's, children's, furniture, shoes, household goods and laundry as well as a separate department just for puzzles.
All donations are now checked for cleanliness and intact goods in the presence of the donors. “Everyone can donate and everyone can shop. We have such great things that you haven't been able to get in specialist stores for a long time. When we clear out households, real treasures sometimes come to light,” she says, beaming.
At the same time, she emphasizes: “We are not a waste disposal company. Waste has no place with us.” Meanwhile, the flood of old clothes is currently causing problems for collectors who support social projects with the proceeds. Containers had to be dismantled in places. This has to do with an EU framework directive that has been in force since January 2025.
When you see Elisabeth Miller and talk to her, you can tell that she still has a lot of “power” within her. She was born in Leutkirch in the Allgäu. She grew up in Weyhers. After finishing school, she went to a language school to learn English, French and Spanish. She then completed training as a business interpreter and started her professional career at Frankfurt Airport.
There she met her future boss, who organized charter flights for US military personnel. She accepted his job offer and ensured that the soldiers in the large European US barracks reached their deployment locations. Among other things, this job also meant she worked on US Navy aircraft carriers in the Mediterranean. When she talks about it, Miller's face lights up. At that time she was living in New York.
For the Rosenthal porcelain manufacturer in the USA
And again an offer came. This time from the Rosenthal porcelain manufacturer. Management was looking for a sales manager for America, Canada and Mexico. For 15 years she traveled all over the United States of America for this company. At the beginning of the 1990s she returned to Weyhers for family reasons.
This gave her more free time and later also time for her social engagements. This also led them to Israel. First she ran a monastery shop on Zion for six months, and later set up and managed a monastery shop on the Sea of Galilee for three months – all on a voluntary basis.
Her laughter reveals it: she is happy with her department store. “We have achieved a lot. A small, fine shop with wonderful employees. And since my name is Elisabeth, I also live by the motto of St. Elisabeth: 'You should make people happy'. And this is also my motto in my professional life, because a smile costs nothing.”
