Gerhard Weber

Gerhard Weber (3 June 194124 September 2020) was a German fashion designer and entrepreneur, who founded Gerry Weber, a fashion manufacturer and retailer in Halle, North Rhine-Westphalia. He signed tennis player Steffi Graf for public relations before her international success. He was the founder of the Halle Open, a tennis tournament on the ATP Tour.

Life and career Weber was born in Halle, North Rhine-Westphalia, where his mother ran a shop selling stationery, wool and clothing. In his early life, he worked at his mother's shop and came into contact with the fashion industry. After school, he attended the Höhere Handelsschule vocational school and trained to be a textile merchant. He first worked in a textile factory, post which he opened a fashion shop in Versmold in 1965. The following year, this event became the Halle Open and was held on grass court at the Gerry Weber Stadion (now OWL Arena) that he helped build in 1992.