Painting, writing, hunting: Eugenie and Gerd Meyden live their passions.
And they have very clear principles.
Forstinning
- Although they have long since retired, there is no question of calm in the Meyden home.
Because the two seniors not only share a love for nature and hunting, they also realize themselves - albeit very differently - in two classic branches of art, painting and writing.
And although they live in a neat house that breathes rich experience in each of its rooms, they both like to travel, if need be, to distant Asia.
Her life could hardly be more exciting: Gerd H. Meyden, 84, comes from Königsberg in East Prussia.
“I was blessed with water over the same baptismal font as the famous philosopher Imanuel Kant,” Meyden is still proud of his homeland today.
But soon he and his family had to flee from the Russians.
Because his father was a major in the air force, got a new post as the commander of an air base in Rodewisch, Saxony, and then in Riga.
And so the young Gerd first ended up in the so-called Vogtland, where he was housed on a lonely farm with his mother and brother.
After the war he came to Planitz, later via detours and with an apprenticeship as a textile merchant to Bavaria, where he met his wife Eugenie at a fashion fair in Munich in 1959, who is now 81 years old.
In addition to the job, an infinite love for nature
She also learned in the clothing industry, but comes from a completely different corner of Germany, from Sonthofen.
She discovered her passion for hunting with her uncle, who was a professional hunter for the Wittelsbach family, but her art teacher also noticed her talent for painting.
In 1964 the two finally marry and live in Gröbenzell.
Eugenie Meyden about her hobby, which has a major impact on her life today: “Over the years I have continued to educate myself on the subject of painting, and I still attend training courses, for example at the Academy of Fine Arts in Gerlingen or in Salzburg.
I am very interested in painting technique, color theory or paper technology, but now I also pass on my experiences and tips to others in painting courses. "Her love is modern watercolor painting," with strong colors in modern technology, mostly with motifs from nature " .
For her, this type of painting represents “the highest form of technology”. After all, it is important, for example, to ensure the ideal humidity, “you have to work properly with water, it requires a lot of concentration”.
Passion for hunting, painting and writing
Her husband Gerd does not want to be disturbed either when he is writing one of his many articles or a new book, his sixth is due to appear in the early summer of 2022.
Everything he puts on paper naturally has to do with nature and hunting.
"But I also wrote an autobiographical book about my life from birth to the age of 16 - I had a difficult youth with experiences that I will certainly never forget." But back to hunting and writing.
“When I was invited with friends to hunt ibex in Mongolia in 1995, after a long journey via Moscow, Beijing to Ulan Bator, I then sent an article to a hunting journal.
The publisher liked this text so much that he made me an offer to write it.
I still write for the publishing house in Austria. "
This is how books such as “The hunter and his goal - a backpack full of hunting stories” were created.
In addition to books, Gerd Meyden also writes articles for various special papers.
Both his publisher and his wife describe his style: “The focus of his stories is not the killing of the booty, but the experience of nature and its creatures, the respective landscapes in the changing seasons, diverse moods on the residence and the Stalking ".
He has had a hunting license since he was 15, enjoyed being outdoors in nature as a child, and admits that he “couldn't write anything fictional, never a novel, for example”.
The first editor is always his wife, who shares her passion for hunting with him, “and she is very critical”.
In return, he can then express his bare opinion on her painting results, give her tips for (even) better image design.
She has already participated in countless exhibitions and has successfully presented her painting art.
When the avid hunter and hobby photographer goes hunting about twice a week, the plan is far from just killing an animal.
Four-legged companions bring fun into the house
“I am often only on the high seat to enjoy the silence of the forest and to be able to observe the animals.
Because I see in animals not just prey, but our brother in creation, treating them fairly should always be in the foreground. ”And so he has, for example, in his present house in Forstinning, which was once owned by the famous architecture professor Hans Döllgast was built, countless chamois antlers hang, all precisely labeled with the hunting date and location - "even dead animals still have a dignity".
To be able to hunt living animals professionally, dogs are also needed.
And so, in addition to Eugenie and Gerd, two short-haired dachshunds share the Meyden estate.
The couple trained them to be successful sniffer dogs or sweat dogs, and they train with them all the time.
"Similar to raising children, dogs need a lot of love, empathy and patience," says Eugenie Meyden.
“Dachshunds also need their own strong character and will.
Because this breed shows great self-confidence, an order is at most an offer for them.
In return, they reward you with incredibly funny moments, they are very lovable, ”is how the animal connoisseur describes her four-legged friends.
What are you missing in Corona times?
“Since we both love to travel, we would like to visit our favorite destinations again as soon as possible, Brittany in northern France and the Umbria region in central Italy.
The nature there is indescribably beautiful, even without hunting ”.