Historical association for the city and district of Miesbach: Home should be preserved

Created: 03/31/2022, 02:00 p.m

By: Jonas Napiletzki

At the lectern in the Waitzinger Keller, historian Dr.

Michael Stephan gave the around 40 visitors and potential club members tips for starting a business.

The initiator and historian Franz-Josef Rigo (left in front of the desk) had previously presented his plans.

© Stefan Schweihofer

In a kick-off event, historian and journalist Franz-Josef Rigo presented his ambitious plans to found a new history association.

Miesbach - "A generation that ignores history has no past and no future." Miesbach's mayor Gerhard Braunmiller quoted the American writer Robert Anson Heinlein with these words - and with this sentence initially explained the mission that Franz-Josef Rigo on Tuesday evening expected in the Waitzinger cellar.

Rigo, journalist and historian, wants to set up a historical association for the town and district of Miesbach.

After a two-year start-up phase, which was extended due to the corona virus, he had invited to the kick-off event in Miesbach (we reported).

Around 40 people followed the call and listened to Rigo's plans and the tips from guest speaker Dr.

Michael Stephan, chairman of the Historical Association of Upper Bavaria and "the real star of the evening", as Rigo explained.

Miesbach's mayor Gerhard Braunmiller supports the founding

The founding of a history association was a "special occasion", attested Miesbach's mayor Gerhard Braunmiller.

Together with District Administrator Olaf von Löwis, who was unable to attend, he had taken over the patronage of the opening event.

Braunmiller explained that during his 18 years as chairman of the town band in Miesbach he had compiled a chronicle himself.

"I was immersed in the 180-year history - of just one club." The amount of work required alone makes it clear to him how big the Rigos project is.

And that's why the mayor supports the ambitious plan of founding an association, at the end of which the history of the city and district should be dealt with.

Stephan outlined the project in three blocks.

"Scientific maintenance, educational work and civic engagement." While the former also aims at writing scientific publications, educational work can be quite entertaining.

"Associations are always a place for socialising," said the high-ranking historian at the event.

Civic commitment could also be geared towards young people in the association that is yet to be founded.

"We cannot accept it as a matter of fate that women and young people are underrepresented in historical clubs," said Stepahn.

Here you have to follow up, for example with advisory services for practical and scientific seminars at high schools, through the supervision of student work and through targeted funding and competitions.

historian dr

Michael Stephan names Fürstenfeldbruck as best practice

Basically, explained Stephan, "children should be given the opportunity to develop regional historical awareness and - let's call it very old-fashioned - to preserve a piece of home." This is precisely what is relevant because democracy can prevail if Europe is strengthened from below.

"With regional history, home and dialects."

As confirmed interested parties and supporters - around 20 people signed a list of interested parties at the end of the event - Rigo named the historically interested former mayor of Weyarn Michael Pelzer, the zither man Manfred Zick and the history departments of the high schools in Miesbach and Tegernsee as examples.

Guest speaker Stephan, who, in addition to being the chairman of the Historical Association of Upper Bavaria, is also the head of the Association of Bavarian Historical Associations, recalled the long history of the regional historical associations themselves. They were founded in the 19th century by King Ludwig II and have been fulfilling important tasks ever since.

As a suggestion for the new association in the district of Miesbach, Stephan brought forward the historical association for the city and district of Fürstenfeldbruck.

"He cooperates very well with existing partner clubs," explained Stephan - and also recommended this to Rigo and his future comrades-in-arms.

In monthly changing exhibitions, the association in Fürstenfeldbruck manages to present museums not only in terms of content,

Braunmiller wished Rigo and the future volunteers "all the best".

It is a valuable task.

"The city and district have a great history."

Everything from your region!

Our Miesbach newsletter informs you regularly about all the important stories from the Miesbach region - including all the news about the Corona crisis in your community.

Sign up here.