As of: February 27, 2024, 8:29 p.m
By: Sebastian Horsch
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Before this year's Derblecken at Nockherberg, Gregor Gysi talks in an interview about a memorable performance from 2015 and his plans to come back.
The visit of left-wing politician Gregor Gysi (76) in 2015 was one of the more memorable appearances at Munich's Nockherberg.
Because in the discussion after the Singspiel, Gysi was clearly no longer completely sober - and live on television.
He looks back on an exhilarating evening about the politician derblecken at Nockherberg.
Mr. Gysi, nine years ago you were a guest at the Munich Nockherberg.
How do you remember the evening?
I remember two things in particular.
The first was that the photographers there asked the then CSU Prime Minister Horst Seehofer for permission before they photographed him with me.
In Berlin they would have just started taking photos.
When Seehofer very graciously said “yes,” I knew that I had landed in some kind of kingdom after all.
Gregor Gysi (r) and his double, the actor Reinhard Peer, stand together at the traditional “Politician Derblecken” at the Munich Nockherberg in 2015.
© Tobias Hase/dpa
Gregor Gysi at Nockherberg: “The only one who drank strong beer was me”
And what was the second one?
During the speech I was sitting at the table opposite Winfried Kretschmann, the Prime Minister of Baden-Württemberg, when the first pint of strong beer was put in front of me.
When it was empty, I still hadn't gotten to the stage.
So I was served another mass.
At some point it was my turn to lick the derble, and it was quite nice.
But the problem was that I had promised the television that I would also be included in the subsequent discussion round.
It was only there that I realized that the other political participants – unlike me – had all cheated.
In their jugs there was tea, water, juice.
The only one who really drank strong beer all the time was me - and by now the third mass was in front of me.
So I was in a slightly different mood than today's Prime Minister Markus Söder.
Gysi and Söder at the Munich Nockherberg: “Not unsympathetic”
Söder sat next to you in the group.
Yes, I kept nudging him with my elbow and saying, “Lighten up a bit.” But he always replied in a very dry and serious manner.
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Söder later said that you seemed “terrifyingly likeable” to him at that moment.
Can you return that?
We greet each other warmly when we see each other.
He was too dry for me at that moment, but not unsympathetic.
Positive memories of the Nockherberg: Gysi would come back
That was all in 2015. Have you had any strong beer since then?
No, I usually drink white wine spritzer.
But I still remember the evening very positively.
For me, it was the moment when I achieved that a majority in Bavaria accepted me - even if they still didn't vote for me.
Afterwards I received countless letters saying that I was the only honest one in the group who actually had strong beer in my mug.
That's why I'll never forget the story.
Are you planning another visit to Nockherberg?
If I were invited again, I would come too.
This time I would limit myself to one measure.
Interview: Sebastian Horsch