The village inns are dying, as are the regulars' tables.
It's a creeping death.
We visited a regulars' table in Grafing.
The members are getting fewer and fewer.
County
- Those who don't sit there are often suspicious.
But those who regularly gather here often like to keep to themselves.
So if someone in Bavaria is asked to take a seat at the regulars' table, one can definitely consider it an award.
But the regulars' table itself has a problem.
It threatens to die out.
We visited one.
And that has already shrunk a lot.
At 68 in the youth department
Michael, the master painter, is the youngest in the group at 68.
"I am the youth department." Everyone at the regulars' table is per you, so we leave it here with the first names.
"There used to be three inns in a small town like Elkofen and all the innkeepers could live from it," says a contract farmer at the regulars' table in the castle restaurant.
The nearby Café Waldeck, for example, is history and only lives on in a book by the late Grafingen writer Eugen Skasa-Weiß about the “bizarre adventures of Count Erlenbar”.
The station restoration in Elkofen, where summer visitors from Munich used to get off the train, has long been closed.
In fact, the dying of the regulars' table was preceded by a pub dying.
And now there are also the corona requirements.
"I just had two groups of young people who would meet regularly in the evening twice a week," says the landlord of the Schlössl in Unterelkofen, Johannes Krickhahn.
"But of course they don't want to have to go home at 10 pm." He notices that in sales and that in difficult times like these.
Many restaurants are long history
Only the elderly know that there used to be a Grieswirt in Grafing on Griesstrasse.
On the other hand, even the younger ones can still remember the Grandau and not a few Grafingers still mourn this traditional economy on the market square.
The restaurant in Neuhardsberg near Frauenneuharting used to be popular as an excursion destination because of its great view.
Everything has long been history.
The village inns began to disappear a long time ago.
In addition, habits have changed.
The younger ones often appreciate the weekly meeting in the inn less than the club and event catering.
The overcrowded maypole parlors before the corona pandemic may be proof of this thesis.
The six men from Stadionstüberl
Every Friday afternoon at 3:30 p.m. six men currently meet in the stadium parlor in Grafing.
One is currently sick.
Everyone goes home at 6 p.m.
“That is sacred to us,” says Michael, referring to the wives' patience.
The group used to consist of 16 people.
Two are no longer there for private reasons, all the others have died.
“We don't take in anyone,” says the master painter and “head of the youth department”.
That means: at some point, in purely mathematical terms, the last Mohican will be sitting there alone.
Stammtisch has strict rules
This regular's table has strict rules.
Most of them actually drink water or non-alcoholic beer, but also a schnapps in between.
The host Peter makes it available at the purchase price.
“You have to find one first,” say the men appreciatively, who all previously worked in management positions at the local TSV and are therefore allowed to use the parlor.
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The current regulars' table in the Grafinger Stadionstüberl with the schnapps board.
This has 16 recesses for 16 shot glasses.
When a member dies, their glass is removed and then the empty space is sealed with a symbol.
On the photo (from left): Philipp Schmidt, Albert Rüger, Peter Koch, Michael Hirschläger, Rudi Wilhelm, Paul Zeller.
© Stefan Rossmann
Over the decades, your regulars' table has already brought a true odyssey through the Grafingen inns behind it.
It all started in 1984 in the ice cream parlor of the then landlady Margot.
The idea of the round table was born here and the share capital was 1.84 marks.
"Back then, every guest had to donate a penny, even the pastor gave us something," recalls the master painter.
And because everything has to be paid into the club's treasury at this regulars 'table (also for going to the toilet), nice sums come together every year, which are then invested in a club outing with the wives of the regulars' table.
“All inclusive,” says Albert.
The ladies do a driving service for that.
"Nobody knows who the next hole is"
There is a board on the table.
That has 16 wells, for 16 shot glasses.
When a member dies, their glass is removed and then the empty space is sealed with a symbol.
For the caretaker of the town hall, for example, it was the model of the town hall.
A landscaper got flowers.
“Nobody knows who the next hole is,” says Michael.
But because there are no new entries, the shot glasses are getting fewer and fewer.
The recently deceased Erich was the regulars' table cashier and was given a pencil and a two euro coin in his recess.
“The board will come to the local history museum” the group is sure to discuss afterwards: “And who will bring it there?”
Michael, Albert, Philipp, Rudi, Peter and Paul sit at the table. At a Bavarian get-together there is space for all professions, "from craftsmen to academics," says Philipp. People talk about God and the world. And about what there should be for Christmas dinner this year. "We sometimes argue whether there should be soup beforehand or not," says Michael. At 6 p.m. it's over for today. Then it's home. After all, you don't want domestic trouble. And can meet again next Friday.