Memorial Plaque for the Merchant House and Jewish Families Bauer and Schwarz in the Tyrolean Innsturm, Innsbruck

The Jewish Bauer and Schwarz families opened the first modern large department store in Tyrol in 1908. The National Socialists forced the merchant house into bankruptcy, a German partisan took it over – until 1966. Surviving members of the Jewish families received only minimal "compensation payments" after years of legal proceedings following the war. In March 2010, René Benko opened a new department store Tyrol as a SIGNA Holding partner. Since July 23, 2010, an epitaph with text by historian Niko Hofinger has reminded on the right side of the main entrance in the ground floor of the Kaufhaus Tyrol of the Jewish families Bauer and Schwarz, initiated by the Israelite Religious Community for Tirol and Vorarlberg. René Benko unveiled the epitaph together with the President of the Religious Community Esther Fritsch. The poster that told the story of the department store's history was removed from its niche and replaced with advertising panels, placed at the rear entrance.