He was only 56 years old: great sadness for the humble maker
Created: 01/16/2023, 11:40 am
By: Ulrike Osman
Erwin Berkmann was only 56 years old.
Repro: os © os (repro)
Erwin Berkmann was the man for all eventualities in the fire brigade.
A cerebral hemorrhage took his life
Moorenweis – Erwin Berkmann was not a person who hesitated for long.
If he had a good idea, he put it into practice - "You couldn't look that quickly," Christoph Gasteiger recalls.
The District Fire Council used to be commander in Moorenweis.
The fire station there bears the signature of his good friend and comrade Erwin Berkmann in many places.
He could do anything
Whether it was conversions or renovations - if there was anything to do, the carpenter was there.
His apprenticeship does not adequately describe what he was technically capable of.
"He could do everything - bricklaying, plastering, tiling, technical drawing, and carpentry anyway," says Gasteiger.
The large cross between the gates of the vehicle hall, for example, comes from Erwin Berkmann.
The snuggery where the comrades can get together after operations and exercises might not exist without him.
Berkmann had the idea of converting the old shower and washroom into a lounge.
"I could think of 1,000 concerns," recalls Gasteiger.
"But Erwin started knocking the tiles off the wall that same evening."
Machinist and respirator wearer
The engineer and respiratory protection wearer was at the forefront of the renovation of the commander's office, the conversion of the kitchen and even more so of the expansion of the vehicle hall.
The same applies to firefighting exercises – Erwin Berkmann's name can often be read on the list of the most frequent participants.
However, if you wanted to pay tribute to him in front of the entire team, he was rather uncomfortable.
"It fits," he modestly fended off public praise.
"He always shouted 'here' when work was distributed," says Gasteiger.
"But he didn't like representing and standing in front that much."
Nevertheless, from 2004, Berkmann took over the vice chairmanship of the fire brigade association for six years.
Here, too, he was as active as possible, but preferably in the background.
(
By the way: everything from the region is now also available in our regular
FFB newsletter.)
draughtsman
Working with wood was Berkmann's great passion, but he gave up his job as a carpenter in 2003.
Standing a lot in the workshop made things difficult for him.
He switched to his brother Walter's engineering office as a draftsman and from then on worked in road construction, among other things.
His straightforwardness in dealing with people was often helpful in property negotiations.
He was able to explain a building project to owners in such a comprehensible and well-founded manner that they were willing to give reasons for it.
also read
Travel group bought the wrong ticket: MVV inspector tough!
240 euros penalty
TO READ
Right place and right street: Four Olchingers win the lottery
TO READ
Farmers are sounding the alarm: Hobby chicken farmers are endangering professional poultry farms
TO READ
Blue light ticker for the Fürstenfeldbruck region: 20-year-old finds marijuana on her doorstep - two teenagers caught with drugs
TO READ
Wind power and electricity from photovoltaic systems: massive expansion necessary
TO READ
Fancy a voyage of discovery?
My space
At the solstice celebration
Don't hesitate - that also applied to Erwin Berkmann, who grew up in Steinbach, in his private life.
He was 19 years old when he moved to Moorenweis with his parents and two older brothers and met his great love Michaela at a midsummer celebration.
Three years later they got married.
The groom was just 22 and the bride 19. Three daughters and a son made the family happy.
The wish for a large flock of grandchildren was also fulfilled.
The 56-year-old grandfather was so looking forward to his fifth grandchild, who is due to be born in March.
But he won't get to know it anymore.
Completely surprisingly, Erwin Berkmann died of a cerebral hemorrhage shortly before Christmas.
His death ripped the rug out from under his family and many friends.
"We are infinitely sad," says Christoph Gasteiger.
A souvenir that can be seen from afar is the cross at the fire station, which will always remind people of Erwin Berkmann.
You can find more current news from the district of Fürstenfeldbruck at Merkur.de/Fürstenfeldbruck.