For his 80th birthday, former mayor Josef Klier will only accept congratulations by phone and digitally today. There is no celebration and he also has to do without a drink of “Teunzer Murachwasser” with the well-wishers in the pandemic. Instead, the jubilee can enjoy numerous previous association gifts in the “office”.
Photo: Portner
—
24 years mayor of the municipality of Teunz and 31 soldier in the border barracks in Oberviechtach. Even if Josef Klier has been retired since 2008, it has not become quiet in his life. Interested in many ways – he cites “modern media” as a hobby – he was and is always up to date. And so today at 6.30 a.m., the usual wake-up call in the Klier house will be the prelude to a bell concert on all channels. The well-known jubilee is looking forward to it. Because in the Corona lockdown there will be neither a serenade from the brass band, an official birthday visit from Mayor Norbert Eckl or visits from delegations from the 14 clubs to which he remains loyal even after his active time.
“Certificate” for marriage and vehicles
He is also loyally connected to his wife Anni: June is the 55th wedding anniversary. “During my time as mayor, I carried out 220 civil weddings,” Josef Klier remembers from 1984 to 2008 when he was in charge of the community, nine years of which in uniform. Born in Kührieder, he is a trained forest worker and was one of the first recruits in the new border barracks in 1961. There he later trained 220 learner drivers as a driving instructor and was responsible for the organization of material maintenance in the barracks for eleven years as battalion service engineer. In 1992 he retired as a staff sergeant and could now be there for the community “24 hours a day,” as he often said. “It was an overall experience and a good thing,” he says, looking back. Many projects were planned and implemented, including the village renewal and flood clearance in Teunz, the designation of building areas and the construction of four new fire stations. With many other future-oriented decisions, he shaped and significantly influenced the development of the community.
Insight into the everyday life of the former mayor of Teunz, Josef Klier
Skydiving unforgettable
Josef Klier was the patron of many of the clubs’ festivities. The tandem parachute jump from 3000 meters at the opening of the 1997 fire brigade festival in Kühried is particularly memorable. “I was a bit nervous about that,” he admits. To be open to new things has always been his motto. This includes the municipal partnership that was concluded with Großmanok in Hungary in 1990.
He describes “family, armed forces and community life” as his focus. He started the latter in 1978 as a local councilor, while he laid the foundation for the family by marrying his Anni in 1966. Son and daughter as well as the three grandchildren are an important part of his life. Schwingl Sepp also likes to spend time with neighbors, friends and acquaintances. Provided that the hobbies that the Klier couple started around 20 years ago – renting out holiday homes and setting up a small sheep farm – leave enough time for them.
Currently there are eight little lambs that require more presence in the sheepfold. In the corona pandemic, the sport of fishing that was newly discovered years ago also provided variety. The jubilee misses the unusual club events and the monthly get-togethers with former Bundeswehr comrades. By the way: He also demonstrated his sociability and organization as the chairman of the local fire brigade, and especially in 1983 when the new chapel was built in Kühried, when the entire village was involved in the work and celebrations.
He is now an honorary member of the fire brigade, which is always present when you look at the garden bench that the military bequeathed to him on his 75th birthday. Even if “Congratulations by a long way” is the order of the day, Josef Klier is in good company when he accepts the congratulations over the phone. Because in his “office” he has many plates of honor, pictures and certificates hanging that virtually connect him with the callers and provide material to indulge in together in the old days.
The Oberpfalz media editorial team asked what he was planning to do at the start of the new decade: “Gsundbleim is the main thing. You can no longer plan large projects, because now it’s the turn of the young. ”The former staff sergeant, former mayor and honorary citizen of the municipality of Teunz used his“ young days ”well with discipline and a sense of responsibility and used it for the good of the community. Therefore, in old age, he is pleased that he is a holder of the Medal of Merit of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (1970) and the Communal Medal of Merit (2002).
That was Josef Klier’s 75th birthday
–
