Athletic priest: Harald Sauer climbed up the bell tower without any problems. © Peter Weber
Harald Sauer was a Protestant pastor in Olching for 24 years. Now he is retiring early.
Olching – Harald Sauer knows what it's like to look death in the eye. In the winter of two years ago, he was out and about in the Allgäu Alps with his wife Carla. They went on a ski tour, it got foggy, visibility was poor. Sauer took a wrong step and plunged into nothingness. His cervical spine was severely injured. It is probably also thanks to the first responders who happened to be there that he survived, in addition to very good doctors.
The rehab lasted a year. Sauer recovered and gained a realization: "I can go on living. I got a gift." The now 64-year-old Protestant pastor with the friendly laugh decided that he wanted to start something new. Out of the parish service, early retirement after 24 years in the parish of Olching and Maisach, this Sunday is the farewell service. Sauer wanted more people, more nature, less administration, because the bureaucracy is a horror to him. "Even though I love the ministry."
Pastor wants to work as a mountain guide in the future
And, understand it or not, he wants to go up again. He officially wants to work as a mountain guide. And be a companion of spiritual tours. However, the journey was shorter: Sauer soon moved from Olching to Stephanskirchen in the district of Rosenheim, closer to his beloved Alps.
Mountaineering, climbing, ski touring: Born in Nuremberg, he has been pursuing this passion since a young age. Actually, he once wanted to become a sports and religion teacher. But here, too, it was an accident in the mountains that gave him a new path. Half-slipping into a crevasse with a ski, he suffered a serious knee injury. He therefore switched to theology.
Move to Olching in turbulent times
The young man was adventurous, went on a trip around the world, met his future wife, and had to tremble as to whether she would receive an exit permit from the GDR. The fall of the Berlin Wall finally united the family. Three children, a son and two daughters, were born. This was followed by a vicariate (in Unterhaching), the first pastorate in Pegnitz and finally at some point the move to Olching. The city was just experiencing immense growth.
The reason for this was the new development area in Schwaigfeld. "Many were Protestants," says Sauer. This was also reflected in the number of members of the parish. It exploded to over 6000 for a short time – which was contrary to the general trend. Today the Protestant congregation has 5500 members.
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Fulfilling your career aspirations in a roundabout way
The work with young people, which has accompanied him since the Protestant youth in his homeland, was particularly close to his heart. He was even able to pursue his first career aspiration, namely as a religion teacher at the Olching Gymnasium. Then he went to the ski camp, which is an important thing for him. "A lot opens up in nature," says Sauer. You can meet differently than in the classroom.
The outgoing pastor is also proud of the fact that he has reformed the confi leisure time. "Less teaching, more experience together," he says. The encounters with the people in Olching, the experiences, that is what he will remember most. And the cooperation with the Catholic colleagues, ecumenism, was exemplary, because actually something like a matter of course.
Second bell is his big farewell project
Now there was still a big farewell project on the agenda. One of the last official acts of the Olching pastor was the bell campaign. The church was to receive a bell. In other words, a second bell above the one that is already hanging there. "The old one has such a hard attack." After it had to be renovated anyway, the idea came up to go one better. 100,000 euros in donations were collected.
Now, as soon as the bell is ready in September, there is a ringing for special occasions such as weddings or baptisms. "Of course, we can't compete with the Catholics," Sauer admits. And radiates all over the face.
You can find even more up-to-date news from the Fürstenfeldbruck district on Merkur.de/Fürstenfeldbruck.