Status: 10.11.2023, 17:17 PM
By: Josef Ametsbichler
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The grandchildren of former district fire commissioner Gerhard Bullinger have lovingly painted the coffin of Antholinger, who died at the age of 72. On Friday, he was buried in the cemetery there with great sympathy. © Artist: S.ROSSMANN
Hundreds of firefighters were among the mourners at the moving funeral of Gerhard Bullinger, former district fire commissioner of the Ebersberg district.
Antholing – His firefighter's helmet with the four red stripes and his lion cap. These two headgear were the hallmarks of Gerhard Bullinger, former district fire commissioner and die-hard fan of TSV 1860 Munich. On Friday, they decorated his grave in the Antholingen cemetery. Bullinger died unexpectedly at the age of 72 (we reported).
Sea of flags: The flag delegations of the district fire brigades paid their last respects to Gerhard Bullinger at the grave. © Artist: S.ROSSMANN
About 500 people came to the funeral, it was probably one of the largest funerals in the Ebersberg district. The many uniform wearers are striking. First and foremost the comrades from the 48 district fire brigades, but also firefighters from Fürstenfeldbruck, Traunstein or Tölz had arrived, even from Aschaffenburg. For 25 years, Bullinger was a district fire councillor. And he was deputy chairman of the Bavarian State Fire Brigade Association. The mourning for the rescuer, who was committed like no other: enormous.
In a moving ceremony, Gerhard Bullinger's family, his friends, the fire brigades and numerous representatives from politics and authorities of the Ebersberg district said goodbye to their "Bulli", as many called it.
Drawings of the grandchildren adorn the coffin
His grandchildren had drawn the coffin – flowers, hearts, fire trucks. "Our hero," it said in blue children's lettering. On his last journey, he was accompanied by brass and bagpipe music, while a sea of firefighters' standards surged around the fresh grave, just a stone's throw from his home in Antholing.
(By the way: Everything from the region is now available in our regular Ebersberg newsletter.)
Again and again, rays of sunlight stole through the leaden-gray cloud cover above the cemetery. Just as with all the pain of parting, a smile crept into the faces of many mourners. This was due to Bullinger's characteristic warmth of heart and mischievousness, which also resounded in the speeches in the Church of St. James. For example, when Pastor Siegfried Schöpf said about the firefighter and Sechzger: "Professionally, his cars were always red, but in his heart his favorite color was blue." Or when District Administrator Robert Niedergesäß praised the zeal for work of his former fire protection officer, and quoted his nickname, the "Lord of the Free Corridors".
Operational photo: Gerhard Bullinger, District Fire Councillor. © Stefan Roßmann
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The name Bullinger: "A synonym for safety, discipline, innovation and charity"
But of course, on this day of farewell, the mourning and appreciation of a great district citizen who shaped the local fire service like no one else and was awarded many times for it, such as the Bavarian State Medal, prevailed. "The name Gerhard Bullinger was synonymous with safety, discipline, innovation and charity," says Niedergesäß. And Glonn's fire brigade chaplain Matthias Holzbauer, who helped organize the funeral, said: "We are all incredibly sad and still can't believe it."
Distinguishing mark: Helmet and lion cap at the grave. © Artist: S.ROSSMANN
Bullinger's successor, district fire commissioner Andreas Heiss, thanked the family, who had always had his predecessor's back for the fire service, and shouted a "Vergelt's Gott für ois!" after the "Bulli" in the church hall. Other representatives of the fire brigade district and state association as well as the municipal accident insurance and the Glonn Lion Fan Club, which he founded, paid tribute to the respective commitment of the long-time Glonner and later Antholinger.
Tears at the son's farewell words
However, the tears welled up in the eyes of many churchgoers at the farewell words of Gerhard Bullinger's grown-up son Florian. With an 1860 scarf around his neck, he quoted the line "as a little boy on his father's hand" from the fan song "Löwenmut" in memory of countless stadium visits. "Dad, I wish that you will be taken by the hand and accompanied well on your last journey," was his closing words for the funeral service, before the football anthem "You'll Never Walk Alone" sounded in the packed church. "Together we are strong" – that had always been Gerhard Bullinger's motto.
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