Martin Greckl from Buch, a technician and inventor

Created: 12/29/2022, 11:00 am

By: Markus Ostermaier

Greckl copy.jpg © Chronik Buch am Buchrain/private

Martin Greckl (1884-1968) from Buch was a creative pioneer in many ways.

A street in his home town is dedicated to him.

Buch am Buchrain

– A boarding house, an electrical engineer and other craft businesses are located on Martin-Greckl-Strasse in Buch am Buchrain.

What a lot of people don't know: The name of the street at the northern entrance to the town was not chosen by chance, because Martin Greckl was also a technician and inventor.

Bucher, who died in 1968, not only had a workshop selling bicycles in town, but also built the first direct current system.

The "Pitzer-Martl" was also a creative pioneer in many other respects, which we present as part of our street name series.

(By the way: everything from the region is now also available in our regular Erding newsletter.)

Martin Greckl was born in 1884 and grew up in the district of Pitz.

This is also where his long-standing nickname comes from.

In the Buch chronicle, a text written by local historian Walter Hipper is dedicated to the "Pitzer-Martl".

The now 82-year-old knew Greckl personally.

"There are many legends about Martin," says Hipper.

It is known that Greckl had a workshop on the main street in the suburb in 1905.

The Neumaier gas station is located here today.

"Bike & machine shop, mechanical workshop" was the name of the branch.

Unlike the majority of the competition, who entered the age of mechanization via the blacksmith's trade, Greckl immediately worked on all areas of technology, according to the chronicle.

One example is the production and sale of bicycles, which at that time enabled mobility for private individuals who did not own riding horses or carriages.

Back then, Bucher products were built so stably "that Greckl bikes could still be seen in Buch and the surrounding area, even in the district town, well into the post-war period," writes Hipper in the chronicle.

In addition to residential buildings, the Martin-Greckl-Straße, which was built in 2003, is primarily home to workshops and a boarding house.

© Markus Ostermaier

The "Pitzer-Martl" was in demand and was even brought to the districts of Mühldorf and Ebersberg to install dynamos and gripper systems.

But that's not all: Greckl also built up a retail business for hardware and tableware, introduced the latest agricultural machinery and installed the first central water pipe for four houses in Buch.

It was a sensation when Greckl built the first radio from components in Buch in 1923 and was thus able to receive an English station.

Of course, the inventor also owned the first telephone and the first car in Buch.

In addition, in 1916, the mechanic "installed electric lights at home with his 4 hp Schlüter motor with dynamo and a 110 volt battery during a war holiday," the chronicle says.

However, the direct current system was of course too small and was later expanded by another company.

Greckl proved his creative streak even in old age.

Although the optician had prescribed him the strongest glasses, these could no longer compensate for the age-related visual impairment.

That's why Bucher simply built two microscope inserts in front of his eyes and was able to see clearly again.

Hipper, who sang with Greckl in the church choir, can still remember that.

"After that he was able to read the music again," the local historian looks back with a smile.

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Greckl handed over the business to his son Josef in 1952, who expanded the company into a modern agricultural machinery dealership and built a ski lift for the Buch ski club.

Martin Greckl died in 1968.

"He was a real inventor, a technician and a practitioner who was always willing to help," says Hipper.

The community also wanted to commemorate this special personality.

"We knew that businesses would come to this street, which is why we decided on the name Martin-Greckl-Straße," explains Mayor Ferdinand Geisberger.

The development plan for this was drawn up in the early 2000s, and the road was opened up from 2003.

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