As early as 1909, exclusive goods were sold over the counter in the impressive Art Nouveau building, at that time still under the name of the Kaufhof predecessor Leonhard Tietz. It was Tietz who was the first to sell high quality products at fixed prices, as previously prices were individually negotiated. Accordingly, he laid the foundation for today's Galeria Kaufhof AG. The architect of the building, Joseph Maria Olbrich, from whom the famous Wiener Secessionsgebäude (Vienna secession building) also dates, died in 1908 before the completion of the iconic department store.
