Prior Sattler's pointer

Created: 06/26/2022, 09:02

By: Andrea Graepel

Franz Nickel has been working on a design for a fountain in honor of Father Prior Magnus Sattler for a year and a half.

© Photographer: Andrea Jaksch

Erling will be at least 1250 years old in 2026, at least that's how old it was first mentioned.

So far, there are no preparations for the upcoming festival either in the town hall or in the clubs.

But there are already ideas - especially since the celebration of the local anniversary in 1976 went down in history.

Erling -

"It would be nice if Erling's story lived on, if there was a place where you said: Let's meet at Kutta Miedl's or at the saddler's," says Franz Nickel.

For a year and a half, the 78-year-old from Erling has been working on the character of Magnus Sattler (1827-1901), once prior of the Andechs monastery.

Without the "unrefined Allgäuer", as Sattler called himself, Erling would not have his cemetery at the Friedenskapelle.

Nickel is fascinated by the figure, which until now has only existed as a bozzetto, an initial, sketchy model for a figure or a sculpture.

Nickel's idea is to install a fountain with a saddler on it by Erling's 1250th anniversary in 2026.

With this figure that shaped Erling, the first honorary citizen of the monastery village.

There is also a Bozzetto from the Kutta Miedl at Nickel, as if it were waiting to be cast in large bronze.

Kutta Miedl, the "white woman".

A rock cave has probably served her as a shelter.

In 1735 she died on Candlemas Day in the Erlingen poorhouse, just below the Nickels on Kientalstrasse.

The older people from Erling like Nickel know them as a “child fright”.

As children, they were drummed into hearing that if they dared to go to the Kiental, Miedl would fetch them there.

Because of the dangerously steep slopes, they were expressly forbidden to play there.

"Actually," says Nickel mischievously meaningfully.

Stories like this could come to life when Erling celebrates its anniversary.

At the municipal council meeting this week, Florian Frey (CSU) pointed out that it was time to prepare and sit down with the clubs.

Because the 1200th anniversary 50 years ago went down in history.

Mayor Georg Scheitz saw them as "Celt", other Erlingen residents appeared as Romans.

And Franz Nickel had also contributed to the big pageant.

He and his father designed the Graf Rasso gate on one of the many floats.

The complete history of Erling was rolled out in a 125-page Festschrift - from the first documented mention in 776, when "Erilingun" was donated to the Schlehdorf monastery and even further back to the Celts and Romans.

On the field called Raingrub, on the border to Machtlfing, there was evidence of an estate from the Roman Empire.

All of this is summarized in the publication.

It also lists all honorary citizens - after Sattler, these were the old schoolmaster Metzger in 1912 and Mayor Seilersdorfer in the 1960s.

After that there was no longer honorary citizenship, but two citizen medals – in 1992 for Father Coelestin Stocker and in 1994 for former mayor Ludwig Mörtl.

Two citizen medals were awarded, both by Franz Nickel: Father Coelestin received them in 1992. © Private

The design of the "recognition of special services" was also in the hands of Nickel.

After completing his wood sculptor and stonemason training, he did his Abitur, studied art education and finally became the director of studies at the vocational training center for construction and design, where he taught at the master school for sculptors as well as gold and silversmiths.

Accordingly, the medals are elaborately and artistically designed, but have not been awarded again since 1994.

Looking at his résumé, Nickel says proudly: "If I plan something, I'll pull it through mercilessly."

This is currently the Sattler project.

For Nickel, he is the defining figure in the recent history of the monastery village.

The Prior had the Friedenskapelle built in 1870/71.

He was awarded a Cross of Merit.

Yes, even Empress Sisi turned to the gruff monk when her only son, Hereditary Prince Rudolf of Austria, committed suicide in 1889.

She sought consolation, but Sattler didn't mince words before people of higher rank and replied: "If you had given him up to us in the penal institution (Nikolaus educational institution in Rothenfeld, editor's note), that would not have happened. The empress then left the monastery indignant and did not return for many years.

Straightforward, rustic - that's how he was, says Nickel, who made three attempts to capture this energetic expression in his design in such a way that it reflects the character of the monk.

The figure points his finger up.

Nickel therefore has the location in mind – Sattler is to point to the Friedenskapelle, where he laid the first dead to rest without permission in 1887, Brother Gabriel Schropp.

Sattler replied angrily to the reprimand from the royal district office: "If you don't like it, just dig it out again." Since then there has been a cemetery at the Friedenskapelle.

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Magnus Sattler, Kutta Miedl, the Citizens' Medals – Nickel has many ideas.

The congregation still has a good three and a half years to prepare for the anniversary.

In Herrsching, which will be 1250 years old at the same time, preparations for the anniversary are already underway, at least in the municipal archive.

Former mayor Ludwig Mörtl received this citizen's medal in 1994. © Private