Andreas Steinmetz

Andreas Steinmetz (born May 12, 1899 in Forchheim ; † February 21, 1971 there ) was a German bookbinder and local politician .

Origin and early years

His parents Johann Nepomuk Steinmetz and Margarete, geb. Circle from Ampferbach, lived in their house at number 12 at Sattlertorstrasse. Margarete Steinmetz died after giving birth to a child who also died when he was three years old. The father married again, the children grew up with the father and stepmother Babette, née. Stilkerich from Oesdorf, together with the siblings from this marriage, Anni and Hans. From May 2, 1905, Andreas attended elementary school in Forchheim.

From 1912 to 1915 his father gave him an apprenticeship with master bookbinder Georg Zehendner in Ebern . In 1916 Steinmetz passed his journeyman's examination in Forchheim with the grade “very good”. The eighteen-year-old was drafted in 1917, got into the fighting in Flanders in 1918 , but was able to return uninjured and was discharged from the military in March 1919.

education and profession

From March 1919, Andreas worked as a journeyman in his father's workshop. In 1922 he attended the art class of the Berlin bookbinder college under Paul Kersten . In October 1922 the master craftsman examination followed in Bamberg , also with the grade one. In the same month he started working in Paul Demeter's famous workshop in Dresden-Hallerau . There he worked together with Wilhelm Kohnert , a capacity in the bookbinding craft. From January to October 1924, Steinmetz was an assistant in the also very well-known bookbindery of Johann Gerbers in Hamburg. At the same time he attended the state art school with Franz Weisse as an evening student. A subsequent workshop stay in Kleinlaufenburg took him to the publishing house Dr. Karl Hönn. From spring to November 1925 he expanded his knowledge in the manual binding of Franz Taschen in Hanover (Franz Taschen later relocated his business to Vienna ). From November 1925 to September 1926, stonemason worked as a hand gilder in the Bauereiß bookbindery in Nuremberg . In September 1926 he finished his practical training and returned to Forchheim.

The 27-year-old master bookbinder made his own and opened a shop in the Hornschuchallee 21 (stationery and book binding, like his father). He met Leni Fichtmair , who came from Kaufbeuren , from the Striegel / Bader relatives and married her on September 22, 1928 in Kaufbeuren. The children were born in close succession: Johannes (Hans) on September 23, 1929, Anneliese on November 14, 1931, Karl on October 9, 1932, Ludwig on March 25, 1934. In 1939 Andreas was drafted again and deployed in Rseszow / Poland. but already posted " uk " on November 18, 1940 , which happened again in 1944.

Political career and death

After the end of the war, the Americans appointed him to the advisory board of the city of Forchheim on May 30, 1945. Mayor was Fritz Ruckdeschel . In 1946 he was elected to the city council under Mayor Konrad Karnbaum . Shortly afterwards Forchheim became independent and Karnbaum Lord Mayor. From July 3, 1948 to March 31, 1961, Andreas Steinmetz was Lord Mayor of Forchheim, initially on a voluntary basis until he was appointed full-time mayor on May 1, 1956. At the beginning of 1961, however, he gave up his post for health reasons, on the advice of the doctor, as he had developed a serious heart condition.

On February 21, 1971, Andreas died of sudden cardiac death.

Honors

Steinmetz was awarded the Federal Cross of Merit, First Class, in 1961 , he received the Medal of Honor in 1967 from the Upper Franconia district, and the city of Forchheim awarded him honorary citizenship in 1968, which entitles him to wear the honorary citizenship ring.

literature

• Karin Steinmetz: Family Chronicle Steinmetz Part IV / I . Forchheim 2008.