As of: March 2, 2024, 2:30 p.m
By: Wolfgang Rotzsche
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Max Demmel senior could look back on a contented life.
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Max Demmel senior from Kleinhelferdorf had a passion for vintage cars and motorcycles.
He was known locally for this.
He has now died at the age of 89.
Helfendorf –
His family would have wanted him to celebrate his 90th birthday.
But Max Demmel senior knew that the sand in his life clock would come to an end.
Nevertheless, he had a fulfilling life.
He loved skiing
Max Demmel Sr.
was born on February 4, 1934 in Kleinhelferdorf.
It was a Sunday.
And Max Demmel was truly a Sunday child.
His satisfaction was written on his face.
He lived for his wife Ingrid and loved his children Christina and Max and his grandchildren.
And he loved skiing.
He watched ski races on television until the end of his life.
For many years he was on the skis himself, was involved in the sports club, and enjoyed skiing down the slopes with his children.
Motorcycles were his passion
Another passion was motorcycles.
“He was a gifted mechanic,” says his son Max. The deceased learned his trade at Anton Cattaneo’s car repair workshop and Gasolin.
Through professional detours that also led him to the Fritzmeier company, Demmel senior had the opportunity to lease the workshop in 1976, where he became self-employed in 1990.
Until 2005, the workshop was at his home on Graßer Straße.
The craftsman could be relied on; he preferred to let the lunch get cold before making a customer wait.
While Max Demmel also had to prepare cars, his great love was motorcycles.
He was particularly fond of vintage cars.
In the meantime he also took part in races.
When he sat on his two-wheeler at the age of 76, it was the last time for him.
As he dismounted he said to his son: “Bua, that’s no longer for me.”
He was particularly impressed by one brand
When it came to motorcycles, Demmel's heart beat primarily for the NSU brand.
And how could it be otherwise, it was the “NSU Max” that particularly impressed him.
Sometimes, when Demmel drove his plane to meetings, he was dubbed “the NSU pope from Helfendorf.”
Max Demmel was a very quiet, rather modest person, without big words.
His son says: “He didn’t say much.
But what he said was right.” For him and his sister, he was an extremely “loving father,” a person of respect.
One look was enough and everyone knew where they stood.
Active in the traditional costume club
Everyone recognized that it was a Sunday or a public holiday when they met Max Demmel senior.
Then he wore a traditional suit or the costume of the local club, of which his son Max has been chairman since 2020.
He made it a point to be “cleanly dressed” that day.
His father was also in the traditional costume club, says Max Demmel Jr.
But he also liked to stay in the background.
The latter seemed to be his nature.
“Dad seemed content until the end,” says his son Max about him.
“He did everything well.” What more could you want?