In a good mood, every single day: obituary for former primary school principal Günther Wick

Created: 05/09/2022, 02:00 p.m

By: Sebastian Grauvogl

This is where Günther Wick worked: the Miesbach elementary school.

© Thomas Plettenberg

Always in a good mood, always friendly and generous: This is how generations of Miesbach elementary school students knew their Rector Günther Wick.

Now he is dead.

An obituary.

Miesbach

– Pupils and teachers could hardly believe their eyes: Shortly after a hip operation, their rector Günther Wick was back on duty.

Smiling happily, he stalked through the elementary school in Miesbach with his two crutches, piggybacking his schoolbag as a rucksack, his guitar in tow thanks to a helpful student.

"A wonderful good morning," Wick wished everyone who passed him in the corridor in his warm voice.

"The day was already saved," remember the former colleagues of the Miesbach school principal.

He retained this good mood even after he retired in 2002. Even severe Parkinson's disease could not dampen his courage, says his wife Marlene Wick, who met her husband in the early 1960s through Catholic youth.

"He never complained about his fate until the end." And so Wick was allowed to go in peace.

He was 81 years old.

Günther Wick (†) © Private

His first points of contact with the Miesbach school landscape had nothing to do with teaching.

As a boy, Wick came to Miesbach with his family from the Sudetenland, where he was quartered as a refugee at the main school.

After completing his teaching degree, he was transferred several times – as was usual at the time.

First he taught in Swabia, then he came to the so-called undivided country school in Pienzenau.

After stints at the Miesbach secondary school and the special school in Holzolling, he took over the management of the Miesbach elementary school in 1987.

Rector was “educator with body and soul”

Generations of students accompanied Wick here on the way from ABC to fourth grade.

"He was an educator with heart and soul," says his wife Marlene.

His former colleagues describe him as "understanding, approachable, appreciative, optimistic and hands-on".

Wick took on many substitute hours and despite his own workload always showed an open ear for teachers and students.

"Seriously interested" he asked about her condition.

"His day had an above-average number of hours," write the colleagues.

"A great role model."

Also read: The master mason with the big heart: Georg Nürnberger from Miesbach died

Outside of school, too, Wick was always welcome.

As a convinced Christian, Wick lived the message of the Sermon on the Mount every day, "with every fiber of his heart," say the colleagues.

In the church as a leader of the word service and lector as well as in the Bible study group of the parish of Miesbach, as a patient advocate in the Agatharied hospital and last but not least as an asylum helper.

Marlene Wick reports that he gave German lessons to a group of Syrians at his home every week.

Of course, he also took a lot of time for three children and six grandchildren.

"He was a good person, without hooks and eyes." His students also appreciated that.

One child at Wick's graduation party at school wrote: "He's happy every day, every day.

He's always smiling and never in a bad mood.

Just great!”

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