Germans know that toppling a few statues isn't enough to confront the past

My take on this is that the shift away from proper artisan bakeries towards just finishing industrially made pre-baked bakery goods for a few minutes reflects a wider trend in society, in general and in regards to food in particular.
Too many consumers simply don't value quality enough to pay extra for it. The cost advantage of large scale production is amplified because the process can be completed just-in-time. Consumers unfortunately expect the complete availability of all products up until the minute the shop closes. Artisan baking can't satisfy this expectation due to the long fermentation time of some kinds of bread (two days or even longer), at least not without the food waste that would inevitably occur if they worked with a large enough buffer to have enough for days with unusually high demand. Bakeries that rent spaces in supermarkets are usually also contractually obligated to offer the full selection until closing time.

It's undeniable that this unfortunate development constitutes a cultural loss, not to mention the nutritional cost, but in Germany's defense, proper artisan bakeries are still around, and the long lines by which you can easily identify those in the mornings show that many do indeed value the quality they provide. For others, good bread and rolls have become treats they still indulge in at the weekends, while they think of the industrial products as still good enough on weekdays, for convenience's sake.

/r/europe Thread Parent Link - theguardian.com