“An extraordinary person”: mourning for Anton Schrobenhauser

Created: 01/09/2022, 02:22 PM

From: Martin Becker

Anton Schrobenhauser was only 66 years old: Unterhachinger, known far beyond the district boundaries, died on Friday evening.

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After a long, serious illness, Anton Schrobenhauser died in Unterhaching at the age of only 66.

As a building contractor, founder of a social foundation and football patron, he leaves far-reaching traces.

Unterhaching

- It is said that this was his last heart's desire.

When on Friday evening, in the 75th minute of the Bundesliga game between FC Bayern and Borussia Mönchengladbach, the only 17-year-old Lucas Copado came on, Anton Schrobenhauser saw his grandson's professional football debut in front of the television.

A little later, reportedly from family circles, Anton Schrobenhauser died at the age of only 66 - the widely prominent Unterhachinger died of cancer.

On the evening of death, grandson makes his debut at Bayern

"This is a great tragedy: the grandchild makes his debut at FC Bayern on the day his grandfather dies," says Engelbert Kupka (82), as Unterhaching's former mayor and ex-president of SpVgg Unterhaching, a close companion of Anton Schrobenhauser for decades.

Bayern sports director Hasan Salihamidzic, who, as the brother-in-law of Schrobenhauser's son-in-law Francisco Copado, belongs to the family, has fulfilled this “last big heartfelt wish”.

Diverse involvement in politics, construction companies, football and social foundations

But it would be far too short-sighted to reduce Anton Schrobenhauser's work to football. To which he dedicated a lot of life: once, in the 1970s, as the third goalkeeper of FC Bayern behind Sepp Maier and Walter Junghans; later at SpVgg Unterhaching first as a player, then as treasurer and in the background as a generous patron, briefly in spring 2002 even as team boss. Anton Schrobenhauser leaves his mark above all as a building contractor: after the tragic and early death of his father, who was only 50 years old in a terrible fire accident, he took over his business as a young man, an estimated quarter of the apartments in Unterhaching were owned by Schrobenhauser -Group built. Anton Schrobenhauser was also involved in local politics as a CSU councilor,from 1984 to 1990 and from 2006 (when he replaced the current Transport Minister Kerstin Schreyer) to 2014. His greatest passion, however, was his “Kids to Life” foundation, which he set up in 2003 to support socially disadvantaged children and provide humanitarian aid for war refugees Syria and Turkey.

Soft core behind the hard facade

“He was an extraordinary person.

And one full of contradictions, ”says Engelbert Kupka about Anton Schrobenhauser.

As a building contractor, he often appeared aloof and decisive to the outside world, “but behind this assertiveness”, says Kupka, “many did not see his soft core, which was characterized by empathy and devotion, by unbelievable creativity and great humanity”.

In fact, anyone who was allowed to experience Anton Schrobenhauser as the founder of the foundation got a completely different image of him than that of the tough businessman.

On the “Kids to Life” area, adjacent to his property in the southeast of Unterhaching, Anton Schrobenhauser fell in raptures when he reported on social projects “to help orphans who are not on the sunny side of life,” like him once said.

With animals in the petting zoo and campfires in the Indian tent, he elicited smiles from boys and girls from the Clemens Maria Children's Home in Putzbrunn, together with celebrities such as ex-soccer stars Matthias Sammer and Klaus Augenthaler, he collected donations at charity events.

"He has helped thousands of children from Syrian and Turkish refugee camps"

“He helped thousands of children from Syrian and Turkish refugee camps,” reports Engelbert Kupka.

“When he saw someone in need, he just had to lend a hand.” The drive was “an enormous charity”, especially towards the socially disadvantaged.

“Anyone who needed help could always knock on their door,” said Kupka.

SpVgg Unterhaching owes him promotion to the Bundesliga

Incidentally, this also applied to SpVgg Unterhaching, which without Schrobenhauser's generous work in the background would never have been promoted to the Bundesliga in 1999, but also to the community for which he procured and built land.

One of the sustainable actions is the land swap in 2010, with which the entrepreneur made it possible for the municipality to build the elementary and middle school at the sports park at a low cost.

A great Unterhachinger left, he was relieved from a serious illness.

Thanks to his diverse commitment, Anton Schrobenhauser will remain unforgettable long after his untimely death.

Reactions to the death of Anton Schrobenhauser

Engelbert Kupka, Former Mayor and Ex-President of SpVgg Unterhaching

: "He was an extraordinary person who always tried to achieve the best for society and the community."

District Administrator Christoph Göbel

: “With Anton Schrobenhauser, the district of Munich is also losing one of its very special personalities.

He was truly an extraordinary, good person, whose traces will remain visible far beyond Unterhaching and our district. "

Kerstin Schreyer, Minister of Transport from Unterhaching

: “Anton Schrobenhauser will be missing as a personality and a strong character.

He has achieved a lot for his home country: in the local council, to which he moved after I left in 2006, as an entrepreneur, as a supporter of SpVgg Unterhaching and also with his great social commitment, especially with 'Kids to Life'.

In the social life of Unterhaching it leaves a big void. "

Mayor Wolfgang Panzer

: "With his generous support of associations and cultural events, he designed Unterhaching as a place of lively togetherness."