Around the world with the guitar

He went out to see the world - and got to know himself in the process.

Max Trommsdorff from Mittenwald has now written a book about his experiences.

Mittenwald

- Max Trommsdorff is known in Mittenwald as a sore thumb.

His book “Unplugged - With a guitar around the world” will be published these days, in which he tells of his impressive journey around the globe like a diary - without money, without a mobile phone and without a specific route.

A man driven by wanderlust, but rooted in his homeland.

"'Don't go until tomorrow, Max!'" Said my mother when I packed my backpack and had all his weight on my shoulders for the first time. "With this sentence, Trommsdorff takes himself and his readers on a journey that in Truth is a long time ago and should take a total of 18 months.

A young couple planted the seeds for this project a few years earlier when they asked them for directions at the Mittenwald train station: “I was maybe 20 or 21 and started talking to them.

They were on their way and had no plan or destination. "

He found it so exciting that he spontaneously offered overnight accommodation and had a wonderful evening.

“We ate together and made music and talked a lot.

That made me want to go out someday without money and only with a guitar. "

His school career with the Regensburger Domspatzen was soon over due to the bad grades, but he learned various instruments and the carpentry trade and was also politically active. But in February 2005 the time was ripe: he resigned his mandate as a district councilor, sold his health food store and separated from his girlfriend at the time. He trudged away in the deepest snow.

First towards Seefeld. The adventure began. The first two stations were still somewhat planned, but from Innsbruck we continued without a goal. In any case, he was aiming for the south, where Trommsdorff hoped for better chances as a street musician - and where you don't freeze your fingers while plucking the guitar. It played its way through Italy and Greece to Turkey, Afghanistan, India, Nepal and Tibet. What always fascinated him was the hospitality that was shown to him. "I was deeply touched by how open and friendly people have taken me to their hearts and helped me, even though they didn't even know me a few hours before." A fishing cutter went to Australia via China, Thailand and Indonesia. There he met Conny,which he perceived as the stark opposite of himself and yet recognized a great common goal: “It has perhaps shaped me the most to this day. Conny, unlike me, was always determined, only got top marks. “During the time together he felt for the first time that he wanted to learn something, to achieve something. So he crammed with her, among other things, the capitals of the US states. “After all, we wanted to go to America together to sing.” Unlike some of his companions before, he is still in contact with her today: “I lost my diary on the way, that was bad because it contained such important addresses. "Even worse, however, was the loss of the small travel guitar that had already belonged to Papa Lutz and was exactly as old as he was: Born in 1947." It was stolen from me in Northern Mexico ",tells Trommsdorff. “That was the absolute low point of my trip! Not because the guitar had a high material value. On the contrary. But the loss of ideas still hurts today. "

When I struggle with something, the thought of the people who love you, who are important to you, helps to keep going.

Max Trommsdorff

As in other situations, the thought of family and friends back home helped me through the crisis.

The father of three now knows: "When I have to struggle with something, the thought of the people who like you, who are important to you, helps to keep going." He saw his 18-month trip to Mittenwald and the people, who live there, brought closer.

And makes him want to achieve something meaningful in his life, something that serves the community.

And the greatest service - he is sure - is done to the global community through courageous climate protection.

After his return he did the Abitur - as the best of his year!

Today Trommsdorff works as head of the Agri-Photovoltaics group at the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE in Freiburg.

In his free time he continues to like to travel.

Music can also be made wonderfully with children and family on the go.

Trommsdorff is optimistic about the future: "After the restrictions of the past few months, I hope that we can all celebrate together in Mittenwald over Christmas and that we will soon be able to make music on the Bolzano market when it finally takes place again." BETTINA SEWALD

"Unplugged - Around the World with Guitar" by Max Trommsdorff has been published as a flap brochure by Knesebeck-Verlag, has 400 pages and costs 20 euros, as an eBook 17.99 euros.