The city of Miesbach wants to support the Parsberg traditional costume association financially in order to save three murals in the former Altwirt inn from demolition.
But the Nazi past of the two men portrayed complicates the project.
"Not unproblematic".
This is how city curator Alexander Langheiter rated the mural "Miesbach dignitaries playing cards" in the hall of the Parsberger Altwirt.
The picture is one of three that will be removed from the wall and preserved as part of the planned demolition of the inn (we reported).
The city of Miesbach is to provide financial support for this project by the Parsberger Trachtenverein D'Rohnbergler.
But this has now been discussed at length in the finance committee.
Because two of the four men apparently have a Nazi past
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The unanimous opinion is that the two murals showing the “Parsberger Bauernrunde” (r.) and “Der Viergsang musiziert” are of cultural and historical value.
The latter features, among others, folk music collector Kiem Pauli (3rd from left) and the well-known ensemble with innkeeper and co-founder of the Trachtenverein Sepp Sontheim (from 4th from left) Lois Treichl, Peppi Burda and Karl Vögele.
© Dieter Dorby
Actually, the plan to save the three murals from 1939 by the Hausham painter Josef Stallhofer (1908-1993) in the hall of the inn is quite commendable.
If it is not possible to save the traditional building in which the local folk music community around Sepp Sontheim and Kiem Pauli had their home in their heyday, then at least these testimonies should be preserved.
Also read:
This is the story of the three murals in the Parsberger Altwirt
Everything was prepared for the finance committee: once the three pictures have been removed from the wall, they should become the property of the traditional costume association.
The work, which the association wants to finance with donations, should cost 10,000 euros.
The city should bear half of the rest – up to a maximum of 2500 euros.
New places for the pictures
After that, the paintings will get a new home: The "Parsberger Bauernrunde", which shows six farmers from back then at the regulars' table, is to go to the Nagele inn in Wörnsmühl, "Der Viergsang musiziert" to the traditional home and the "Miesbach dignitaries playing cards" to the Parsberg elementary school, owned by the city.
But now it became known at the meeting of the committee: Two of the four notables - namely master brewer Wiedemann and a man named Emil Hinterdobler - are said to have actively supported the Nazi regime in the district town.
However, this only became an issue in the meeting after the administration's presentation of the facts through the contributions of Markus Seemüller (FWG) and Paul Fertl (SPD).
Clear words from Klaus Fertl (SPD)
"Place two local NS greats in the school - I say no," Fertl clarified.
It was a terrible time under the Nazis.
“There were followers and active supporters.
And these two were active.
I think it's fundamentally wrong to immortalize someone who has brown footprints.
And then at school - completely wrong." The two untainted pictures could be secured, "but not the one with local Nazi greats".
Other committee members did not judge the case so severely.
Verena Schlier (CSU) suggested that talks should first be held with the school authorities and monument conservators.
And Florian Perkmann (SPD) pointed out that the said painting had been hanging in the economy for decades.
"It's about a scene from that time." He himself did not identify either of them as Nazis.
"The question is: where do you start, where do you stop?"
Second mayor calls for clarification
Second Mayor Astrid Güldner (Greens) stated: “You cannot negate history.
We have to deal with that and with the people.” That's why the picture definitely needs an information board that provides information about the background.
"You can't tell right away"
Her parliamentary colleague Manfred Burger saw it similarly.
He himself is against destroying the picture, "but you have to explain it"´.
Which was also important to Güldner.
She therefore suggested the addition in the decision that the picture should really be processed in the school.
Schlier agreed.
The picture could show that at that time it was people from the middle of society who supported the National Socialists - "you just don't see it immediately".
However, the topic should not be exaggerated, "because the preservation of the old pictures is a very decent procedure".
Mayor Gerhard Braunmiller (CSU) agreed.
"You guys are trying to bring the story off the ice"
But what Michael Lechner (FWG) didn't want to let go: "You're trying to get the story off the ice.
It's about people with a Nazi past and money from the city.
Anyone who knows, knows what they have done here with their power.
Washing that off with a text addition isn't doing us any favors."
Christian Mittermaier (CSU) contradicted this: "I just think that it is the task of the public sector to do something like this and to create the historical context." Which in turn irritated Seemüller: "Working up normally makes the victims visible, not the perpetrators." He gave the committee good advice to “take the issue very seriously”.
Seemüller's proposal to separate the resolutions according to images was accepted but not implemented.
Since the original proposal for a resolution went further, it was voted on first.
It was accepted by a vote of 7:3, but expanded to include the reconnaissance amendment.
Fertl's suggestion of letting the city council decide was also unsuccessful.
City curator Langheiter puts it into perspective when asked by our newspaper: "They were party members, but they didn't belong to the upper hierarchy."
ddy
