After spreading covid-19, a huge European abattoir vows reforms

Clemens tönnies used to be a local hero in eastern Westphalia. One of six children of a butcher from the town of Rheda-Wiedenbrück, he grew Tönnies, the family meat-wholesaling business which he took over after his brother Bernd’s death in 1994, into one of the biggest meat-processing companies in the world, with annual sales of €7bn ($8bn). For almost two decades the bratwurst billionaire was chairman of Schalke 04, a beloved local football team. He built the Tönnies arena, a 3,600-seat stadium for a women’s football club, next to his company’s headquarters. He donates to the local shooting club, and owns hotels, a gym, a real-estate agency and even a kindergarten in Rheda.