Görlitz → Miami Beach

When something is important enough, you do it — even if the odds are not in your favor.

Elon Musk

What drives me — from the first ideas in Görlitz to a fresh start in Miami Beach.

FaceClub · Cherry Beach · Landeskrone · Berzdorfer See · Miami Beach

[ Hero photo: Stefan Menzel ]

Introduction

Who is Stefan Menzel?

Born and raised in Görlitz. Out of a career as a German Bundeswehr officer, I built something step by step over more than a decade: first clubs and events, then casinos and major festivals, water-based tourism — and finally landmarks like the Landeskrone and passenger shipping on the Berzdorfer See. Much of it can still be visited, read about online and verified today. When I began to speak up publicly, things got complicated. This page tells the story in order — facts evidenced, my own view clearly marked as such. Judge for yourself.

“Much of what I built still stands today — you can visit it and check it. The rest I back with facts.”

Chronology

From Building Up to Starting Over

Eight phases — dated and evidenced, opinion kept clearly separate. Tap a phase for the details.

– 2014Phase 1

Early Years & the Bundeswehr

Active as a DJ and at events since the age of 16.

Factual
  • Active as a DJ and at events since the age of 16.
  • Registered his first business at 18 — the start of his entrepreneurial path.
  • Opened his first own club at 19.
  • 2008–2014: officer career in the German Bundeswehr — while staying active in events and hospitality on the side.
[ Bild: Stefan Menzel during his time in the Bundeswehr ]
Source to be added
2014Phase 2

FaceClub & Going All In

FaceClub — his first major club and a fixture of the region's nightlife.

Factual
  • FaceClub — his first major club and a fixture of the region's nightlife.
  • From 2014: left the Bundeswehr and went all in on entrepreneurship.
  • Opened his first casino location immediately afterwards.
Source to be added
2014 – 2018Phase 3

Casino Chain & Major Festivals

Built and ran up to nine casino locations over the years.

Factual
  • Built and ran up to nine casino locations over the years.
  • Organised major festivals: Cherry Beach and Holy Open Air — both still running today (in part under new concepts).
  • Strong growth across the region's events and leisure sector.
[ Bild: Cherry Beach Festival ]
Source to be added
2018 – 2022Phase 4

Tourism on Water and Land

2018: stepped back from the pure events business.

Factual
  • 2018: stepped back from the pure events business.
  • 2019: launched “Boats and Friends” — a water-based tourism offering.
  • From 2020: city tours (later “Girliwood Entdecker”) and steady expansion of the tourism offering.
Source to be added
2022 – 2023Phase 5

Landmark Projects for the Region

2022: opened “Bikini” — a new leisure venue.

Factual
  • 2022: opened “Bikini” — a new leisure venue.
  • 2023: took over the Landeskrone, Görlitz's landmark mountain.
  • 2023: launched passenger shipping on the Berzdorfer See (EMS Berzdorf) — an official inauguration attended by political representatives.
[ Bild: Passenger shipping on the Berzdorfer See ]
Wikipedia: LandeskroneSource to be added
ab 2023Phase 6

Speaking Up — and My Assessment

After years of building, Stefan Menzel begins to speak publicly about the region's development and to take a stance.

Factual
  • After years of building, Stefan Menzel begins to speak publicly about the region's development and to take a stance.
  • Two projects central to the region are at the heart of it: the Landeskrone and the Berzdorfer See.
My assessment
  • My personal assessment: in my view, parts of the regional administration tend to avoid friction and protect their own position rather than actively move projects forward.
  • It is on the two projects most important to the region — the Landeskrone and the Berzdorfer See — that I have felt the strongest resistance. Whether that happens deliberately or not, I neither can nor wish to claim — I leave the conclusion to you.
Source to be added
2023 – 2025Phase 7

Official Proceedings & Escalation

From 2023 onward there are disputes with the authorities, which intensify in 2025.

Factual
  • From 2023 onward there are disputes with the authorities, which intensify in 2025.
  • On 11 June 2025, several locations are searched.
My assessment
  • By my account, the matter at its core concerned a documentation/contract question around staffing — not an allegation of violence or personal enrichment.
NoteThese are ongoing proceedings that have not been concluded by a final judgment. The presumption of innocence applies.
Source to be added
2025 – 2026Phase 8

A Fresh Start in the USA

2025: founded a company in the USA.

Factual
  • 2025: founded a company in the USA.
  • April 2026: a spontaneous decision to put down permanent roots in the USA — focused on Miami Beach.
  • Building new ventures with the same energy that once shaped his home region.
NoteNot a flight: a deliberate entrepreneurial step forward.
[ Bild: A fresh start in Miami Beach ]
Source to be added

Landmark Projects

Three That Stayed

Projects that still exist today and can be verified — on the Berzdorfer See and above Görlitz.

[ Bild: The Landeskrone near Görlitz ]

Landmark · Görlitz

Landeskrone

Görlitz's iconic mountain — and its summit.

At 420 metres, the Landeskrone is the local mountain of Görlitz and has been the city's emblem for centuries. A historic summit restaurant sits at the top. I took over the site to revive it as a destination — with the aim of keeping a piece of regional identity alive for locals and visitors.

  • 420 m local mountain and centuries-old emblem of Görlitz
  • Historic summit restaurant
  • Publicly documented as a Görlitz landmark (e.g. Wikipedia)
[ Bild: Bikini at the Berzdorfer See ]

Beach & Leisure · Berzdorfer See

Bikini

Beach lifestyle at the Berzdorfer See.

“Bikini” is a beach and leisure destination on the Berzdorfer See near Görlitz — a lake created from a reclaimed open-pit mine. It brings a beach feeling, hospitality and events to the lakeside and is bookable online today in several languages. It stands as an example of turning industrial land into a living destination.

  • Beach & leisure venue right on the Berzdorfer See
  • Built on reclaimed former mining land
  • Live today, bookable online in several languages
[ Bild: Shipping on the Berzdorfer See ]

Passenger Shipping · Berzdorfer See

EMS Berzdorf

Passenger shipping on the Berzdorfer See.

EMS Berzdorf brings passenger shipping to the Berzdorfer See: sightseeing trips, charters and onboard hospitality — on a body of water that was an open-pit mine only a few years ago. Its launch was marked officially with political representatives. The service is bookable online today and a tourist draw for the region.

  • Passenger shipping on the Berzdorfer See (tours & charter)
  • Official launch attended by political representatives
  • Online ticket shop, in active operation

More Milestones

What Else Was Created

Over more than a decade: clubs, festivals, casinos and tourism.

9
Casino locations
6
Years in the Bundeswehr
2
Major festivals
10+
Years of building
🎵

FaceClub

The first major club — the start of an entrepreneurial journey.

Source to be added
🏖️

Cherry Beach Festival

One of the region's major festivals — still going today.

Source to be added
🎉

Holy Open Air

Another established festival with a loyal following.

Source to be added
🎰

Nine Casino Locations

Built and operated a casino chain over several years.

Source to be added
🚤

Boats and Friends

A water-based tourism offering from 2019.

Source to be added
🚌

Girliwood Entdecker

City tours opening up the region to visitors.

Source to be added

New Start

A Fresh Start in Miami Beach

Not a flight — a deliberate step forward.

In 2025 I founded a company in the USA. In April 2026 I made a spontaneous decision to put down permanent roots here — with a focus on Miami Beach. This is where I am building something new, with the same energy that once shaped my home region.

Building anew

New ventures in the USA — founded in 2025, firmly focused on Miami Beach.

The same signature

Quality, good products and customers first — the standard stays the same.

Forward-looking

From the experience of recent years grows a new vision.

[ Stefan Menzel — a fresh start in Miami Beach ]

Questions & Facts

Short and Clear

Who is Stefan Menzel?

Stefan Menzel is an entrepreneur from Görlitz, Germany. Over more than a decade he built clubs, several casino locations, the Cherry Beach and Holy Open Air festivals, tourism offerings, the Landeskrone and the Berzdorfer See shipping line. Since 2025 he has been building ventures in the USA, focused on Miami Beach.

Are these projects verifiable?

Yes. Several still exist today and are publicly findable — for example the Berzdorfer See shipping line (emsberzdorf.de), the Bikini leisure venue (bikini-goerlitz.de) and the Landeskrone, documented as a Görlitz landmark on Wikipedia. Facts on this page are backed by sources; personal assessments are clearly marked as such.

What did Stefan Menzel build?

Among other things the FaceClub, up to nine casino locations, the Cherry Beach and Holy Open Air festivals, “Boats and Friends”, city tours (“Girliwood Entdecker”), the “Bikini” leisure venue, the Landeskrone and the Berzdorfer See shipping line (EMS Berzdorf).

Does Stefan Menzel live in the USA?

Yes. He founded a company in the USA in 2025 and decided in April 2026 to put down permanent roots there, focused on Miami Beach. It was a deliberate entrepreneurial step forward.

Press

Press & Contact

For journalists: a direct line of contact. Media material to follow.

Media KitPress package & print-ready material — in preparation.

Contact for Journalists

For interviews, inquiries and press material.

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