Tavern dying in Bavaria: The creeping death of the regulars' tables - "Nobody knows who the next hole is"

The village inns are dying, as are the regulars' tables.

It's a creeping death.

He also didn't stop at the Ebersberg district.

• There is a regulars' table in almost every village inn in Bavaria.

• But the number of members has been falling for years.

• The creeping death of the regulars' tables - it can hardly be prevented.

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

is asked

to take a seat

at the

, one can definitely consider it an

.

But the

itself has a

It threatens

We visited one.

And that has already

lot

Tavern dying in Bavaria: regulars' tables badly affected

Michael, the master painter, is the youngest in the group at 68.

“I am the

“At the

everyone is per you, that's why we leave it here with the

"It used to in a small place like Elkofen three

given and all the

were able to make a living," says a

the

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

restoration in Elkofen, where summer visitors from

off the train, has long been closed.

In fact, the

the

preceded by

a

dying.

And now there are also the

.

"I just had two

who

would meet

the evening

twice a week

," says the landlord of the Schlössl in Unterelkofen, Johannes Krickhahn.

"But of course they

go

." He notices

that in

and that in

like these.

Regulars' tables in Bavaria are in danger of dying out: 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

economy

on the

.

The

restaurant in Neuhardsberg near Frauenneuharting used to be popular

as an

because of its great view.

Everything has long been history.

The

of the

has already started some time ago.

In addition, habits have changed.

The

ones

often

appreciate the weekly meeting in the

less than the

.

The overcrowded

before the

may be proof of this thesis.

At 68 the youngest at the regulars' table: The six men from the stadium parlor

Every Friday afternoon at 3:30 p.m. six men currently meet in the

in Grafing.

One is currently sick.

Everyone goes home at 6 p.m.

“That is sacred to us,” says Michael, referring to the

patience

.

The group used to consist of 16 people.

Two are

no longer there

for

, all the others have

.

“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.

Tavern dying in Bavaria: This also goes with a popular tradition

This

has strict

.

Most of them

actually

or

, but also a

The

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

and are therefore allowed to use the parlor.

+

The regulars' table in 2012 (from left): Georg Godenberg (deceased), Rudi Wilhelm, Peter Koch, Philipp Schmidt, Albert Rüger, Hans Fitzek (deceased), Michael Hirschläger.

Standing from left: Georg Greska, Erich Warta (deceased), Paul Zeller, Eberhard Hansch (deceased).

© Stefan Rossmann

Over the decades, your regulars' table has already brought a true odyssey through the

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

(also for going to the toilet), nice sums come together every year, which are then

invested

in a

with the wives of the

.

says Albert.

The ladies do a driving service for that.

If someone dies, his place remains empty: "Nobody knows who the next hole is"

There is a board on the table.

That has 16 wells, for

.

When a member

, their

and then the

sealed

with a

.

For the caretaker of the town hall, for example, it was the model of the

.

A landscaper got flowers.

“Nobody knows who the next hole is,” says Michael.

But because there are no

entries, the

getting fewer and fewer.

The recently deceased Erich was the

and was given a pencil and a two euro coin in his recess.

“The board will come to the

is sure, and then the question will be discussed: “And who will bring it there?”

Michael, Albert, Philipp, Rudi, Peter and Paul sit at the table.

At a

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.