As mayor, he managed Forstern's fortunes for 20 years and had a lasting impact on the community and its social life.
A commitment for which he has been honored many times.
Today, June 15, the former mayor Josef Eicher celebrates his 90th birthday.
Forstern - The jubilee was born on June 15, 1931 in Frotzhofen near Anzing (Ebersberg district). In 1957 he came to his uncle's Eicher farm in Wettinger, who was seriously ill and needed help, but died soon afterwards. Eicher married the widow Maria a good year later. With the five children Maria, Friederike, Resi, Josef and Thomas they laid the foundation stone for their extended family.
In 1966 Eicher stood for the first time for the old voter community in the municipal council elections - and promptly got the most votes of all candidates.
Six years later he became Vice Mayor under Hans Reiser, whose post he temporarily took over in 1975 before he was officially elected mayor in 1976.
He held this position, then an honorary position, for 20 years.
"The community should be a living space for the citizens, in which it is worthwhile to be at home", was the motto under which he had placed his local political work.
Commercial areas designated, building land created for locals
Many landmark decisions were made during Eicher's tenure.
The first commercial areas were designated and building land was created for locals.
“That was groundbreaking for such a small community,” says Eicher's son-in-law Georg Els, who replaced him as mayor in 1996.
Under Eicher's aegis, the first municipal kindergarten was planned, the primary and secondary school expanded, the new sports facility built in the former gravel mining area and the area at the cemetery redesigned: the old halls of the Eicher tractor works gave way to the parking lot, the cemetery expansion and the Village square with pond.
At the same time, in the early 1990s, Eicher founded together with Franz Jaksch and Dr.
Egon Streit the home parlor.
At the end of his term of office he was able to implement a particularly important project: the rehabilitation of the water supply.
Not an easy undertaking, because no source was found.
They even used dowsers - in vain.
Finally, two wells were built in the Ebersberg Forest.
The joining of the municipality to the AZV shortly before the turn of the millennium was just as important.
Forstern: "From a post-war community to a modern community in the 20th century"
Overall, Eicher worked significantly during his tenure to transform Forstern "from a post-war community to a modern community of the 20th century".
This is what Els put it at a reception ten years ago on the occasion of Eicher's 80th birthday.
At that time, the jubilee said, visibly moved: "This reception is a great honor for me."
When Eicher did not run in the local elections in 1996, that didn’t mean the end of his social work. In 1997, after the death of Emil Pahl, founder of the Volksbildungswerk, he took over its management. He remained chairman until 2012. He is also a member of numerous clubs and associations, from 1979 to 1994 he was chairman of the Erding dairy cooperative and was committed to the interests of farmers.
For all these services to the common good, Josef Eicher has been honored many times - with the municipal certificate of thanks, the municipal medal of merit in bronze and the title of "former mayor".
He was given a special honor in March 2001 when he was awarded the Federal Cross of Merit on ribbon.
“Right at the beginning of his term of office, he had to cope with the loss of 600 jobs and the elimination of the most important source of taxation that resulted from the closure of the local tractor factory.
With great personal commitment and the necessary foresight, he carefully led the community back into a rural commercial structure, ”wrote the State Ministry of the Interior at the time.
Still interested in political events
Just three months later, exactly on his 70th birthday, Eicher was made an honorary citizen with the community medal of the Forstern community.
An award that was launched during his tenure in 1985.
Josef Eicher still lives with his wife Maria (92) on the farm in Wetting, which is now run by their son Josef.
He himself was a farmer with body and soul all his life.
Hunting was also a passion, and animal welfare, care and maintenance were always particularly important to him.
The couple also performed sacristan service in the Wettinger church, which includes ringing by hand, for many decades.
Today, for health reasons and recently because of the corona pandemic, the former mayor doesn't get around as much as he used to.
“But he's still very interested in what's happening politically,” says Georg Els.
Because politics runs in the family's blood.
Daughter Maria is the district president of Upper Bavaria, son-in-law Georg was mayor himself for 24 years, and now grandson Georg junior is sitting.
also in the municipal council.
“He's very proud of that,” says his son-in-law.
The family, according to Eicher, has so far shaped community politics for more than half a century.
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