1. Background
Branches were previously registered as independent companies with their local court. The headquarters tab only contains a reference to the branch.
In compliance with the Electronic Commercial Register, or EHUG, branches have only been registered under the location of the headquarters since 01.01.2007. The tabs on the location of the branch have been formally deleted, so that their status has changed from “current“ to “deleted“ although they still remain in the commercial register. The headquarters tab has been left largely unchanged. The references to the branches have been supplemented with the postcodes/zipcodes of the location of the branches. This means that data on the branches can only be established via the registration court responsible for the main office.
2. Search for headquarters
A direct search for a main office remains unchanged. The new law means that branches are now set out in the search result under their headquarters. A main office can then also be found indirectly via one of its branches.
3. Search for branches deleted prior to 01.01.2007.
These branches, which now have an independent entry, can continue to be searched for as main offices.
4. Branches registered prior to 01.01.2007
These branches have been deleted and transferred to the entry for the headquarters.
5. Branches registered after 01.01.2007
These branches have been entered directly on the headquarters tab.
6. Search for branches named under points 4 and 5
Branches not already deleted before 01.01.2007 are shown in the search results under the firm name of the headquarters (and in their history where applicable). The information can be displayed or hidden. Where a branch corresponds to the company designations searched for this information is shown directly in the search result. If the search terms only match the headquarters the information on the branches is hidden, although it is still possible to see that branches are present. The listing under the main office contains only the branches affected by the new law which have been entered or transferred in compliance with EHUG.
The search masks for normal and extended searches make a special area available in addition to the general information in which only details of the main office may be entered. The whole inventory of firms (headquarters and branches in accordance with the old and new laws) is searched in all instances. Since, in accordance with the new law, a branch inherits those attributes that are exclusively assigned to their main office a successful search is achieved if information is given on the branch in the upper part of the mask and details for the related headquarters are given in the lower part applicable to the main offices. Characteristics of the main office and branch may not be combined here. In addition it should be noted that deleted branches are found only when searching for deleted firms. This also applies if the main office is still active.
Disclosures from the period prior to EHUG can be researched only for a branch via the (deleted) independent entry on the branch, while all disclosures effected after EHUG belong to the main office and are displayed via this.
7. Research examples
Example 1
| Main office | |
| Name: | Daylite Leuchten Ziller GmbH |
| State: | Hessen (HE) |
| Register court: | Kassel |
| Type of register: | HRB |
| Register number: | 1234 |
| Registered office | Kassel |
| Postal code: | 34121 |
| Location: | Kassel |
| Street: | Frankfurter Str. 10 |
| Branch A | |
| Name: | Sunlite Leuchten Ziller GmbH |
| Location: | Gotha |
| Postal code: | 99867 |
The “Sunlite Leuchten Ziller GmbH” is situated at Helios Strasse 14, 99867 Gotha, Thüringen/Thuringia.
If the firm is searched for under the branch address (e.g. according to the street) this does not lead to the firm being searched for:
| Exact name of firm | = Sunlite Leuchten Ziller GmbH |
| Street | = Helios Strasse |
| Search result: | Firm not found |
Instead of this the firm is found via the address – here the street – of its main office:
| Exact name of firm | = Sunlite Leuchten Ziller GmbH |
| Street | = Frankfurter Str. |
| Search result: | Firm found |
The postcode/zipcode of the main office is different from that of the branch:
A part of the address applies to the headquarters while the postcode/zipcode refers to the location of the branch. So the search for the branch should also be found via the postcode of the headquarters.
| Exact name of firm | = Sunlite Leuchten Ziller GmbH |
| Postal code of the main office | = 34121 |
| Search result: | Firm found |
A search for the postcode/zipcode of the branches is not possible.
A search for the branch according to the state is possible:
| State | = Thüringen/Thuringia |
| Exact name of firm | = Sunlite Leuchten Ziller GmbH |
| Search result: | Firm found |
Since the branch is classified under its own state it cannot be found by using the following combination:
| State | = Hessen |
| Exact name of firm | = Sunlite Leuchten Ziller GmbH |
| Search result: | Firm not found |
The firm being searched for cannot be found even in this combination:
| Exact name of firm | = Sunlite Leuchten Ziller GmbH |
| Location | = Kassel |
| Search result: | Firm not found |
If the name of the branch is given the choice must be limited to a location of that branch:
| Exact name of firm | = Sunlite Leuchten Ziller GmbH |
| Location | = Gotha |
| Search result: | Firm found |
Example 2
Headquarters and branch A as in Example 1
There is another branch:
| Branch B | |
| Name: | Lunatec Leuchtsyteme Ziller GmbH |
| Location: | Wolfsburg |
| Postal code: | 38440 |
The next three combinations depend on the assignment of the key words:
| Key word | = Lunatec |
| Location | = Wolfsburg |
| Search result: | Firm found |
| Key word | = Lunatec |
| Location | = Gotha |
| Search result: | Firm not found |
| Key word | = Lunatec |
| Location | = Kassel |
| Search result: | Firm not found |
Example 3
Headquarters and branch A as in Example 1
Since the key words for a branch are individually assigned to just this branch the combination below does not produce a hit if the search is limited to “Include all key words”.
The branch and the headquarters can be found with “containing at least one key word”.
| Key words | = Daylite, Sunlite |
| Search result: | Dependent on search options |
Example 4
| Branch C | |
| Name: | Sunlite Müller Leuchten GmbH |
| Location: | Jena |
| Postal code | 07743 |
| Status: | deleted |
This is an example of the effect on the search result of the search option “Also search for deleted entries.” In the first example the branch is searched for, but without extending the search to deleted entries:
| Exact name of firm | = Sunlite Müller Leuchten GmbH |
| Search option | = Do not search for deleted items |
| Search result: | Firm not found |
The firm has not been found although its headquarters are current.
In the second example the main office is searched for with the exact name, but only among the current firms.
| Exact name of firm | = Daylite Leuchten Ziller GmbH |
| Search option | = Do not search for deleted items |
| Search result: | Firm found without deleted branch |
The deleted “Sunlite Müller Leuchten GmbH” branch will also not be displayed in the search result if all branches of the main office are shown. This can be displayed only if the “Also search for deleted entries” option is selected.
Example 5
Headquarters and branch A as in Example 1
The discrete “Sunlite Müller Leuchten GmbH” branch entry deleted by EHUG is still to be found.
| Branch according to the old law | |
| Name: | Sunlite Leuchten Ziller GmbH |
| State: | Thüringen/Thuringia |
| Register court: | Jena |
| Register court: | Jena |
| Type of register: | HRB |
| Register number: | 246 |
| Registered office: | Gotha |
| Postal code: | 99867 |
| Location: | Gotha |
| Street: | Helios Strasse 14 |
| Status: | deleted |
The firm has been found via its own attributes as if the search were conducted for a main office.
