“Lord of the Herbs”, “Mister Haspelmoor”, “Father of the Augsburg Pharmacist Garden” - the surnames that Siegfried Hagspiel received from his fellow men have one thing in common.
They express his love for nature and appreciate his extensive knowledge of plants.
Haspelmoor - He led innumerable interested people through Haspelmoor.
With a large number of lectures he increased the awareness of the nature reserve and made a significant contribution to its preservation and renaturation.
Hagspiel had known Haspelmoor since he was a child, because this is where he grew up.
The nature on his doorstep was like a huge adventure playground for the forester's son, his twin brother and the three younger siblings.
In addition, he had a keen interest in flora and fauna from an early age.
He later studied pharmacy in Passau and Munich and, thanks to his botanical expertise, became a recognized specialist in herbal medicine.
Hagspiel, so his friends say, knew every inconspicuous plant in Haspelmoor by its first name.
“It wasn't just his technical competence that made him stand out,” remembers Alfred Beheim from the “Habitat Haspelmoor” association, of which Hagspiel was one of the founding members.
"With his open, lovable way of imparting knowledge, he awakened and deepened an understanding of nature in many people." He was happy to do this with the help of funny poems.
The customers of the Hofapotheke St. Afra in Augsburg appreciated that the father of two children was also an accomplished homeopath.
Hagspiel worked there for over 50 years.
In the botanical garden of the Fuggerstadt, the nature lover laid out the Augsburg pharmacy garden for the state horticultural show in 1984, which he looked after himself for decades.
Countless visitors were introduced to the world of herbs by him.
Incidentally, Hagspiel was an avid athlete all his life.
As a founding member of SV Haspelmoor, he played football there for years, was involved as chairman and was later made honorary chairman.
The club excursions he organized - which often included excursions into nature - always included a football game against a team at the excursion location.
Haspelmoor lost an institution with his death, his family - wife Gerda, daughter Ulrike and son Peter with family - a loving husband, father and grandfather.
There was even a great-grandson - "his last sunshine", as his wife Gerda Hagspiel says.
Siegfried Hagspiel was 86 years old.