Gießen honors Toni Hämmerle: Ranking for fading night legends in sight!

Gießen honors Toni Hämmerle: Ranking for fading night legends in sight!

The popular carnival song "Humba, Humba Verpäterä", which is often sung, especially in Mainz and Gießen, has a special creator: Toni Hämmerle. The musician and pianist, who was born in 1914 and died in Gießen in 1968, was considered a formative figure of Hessian entertainment music. He celebrated his greatest successes in the early 1960s when he invented the iconic piece in the "Zum Green Wreath" restaurant. Today the city of Gießen plans to name the space between the university building and the former tax office in Hämmerle and thus give it a deserved honor. FAZ.net reports that ...

The bust of Hämmerle, which was unveiled on April 10, 2019 in Stephanstrasse, symbolically stands for his life's work. It was created by the sculptor Alf Becker and is located in a striking place, the former tax office, where Hämmerle once worked. The revelation ceremony was led by Christina Hämmerle, his widow, and singer Margit Sponheimer. Among the guests present was his sister-in-law Anne-Ria Riga, who wanted to commemorate his services. Cultural director Harald Scherer welcomed those present and after the ceremony there was "wine, wake and words". The visit of his grave in the new cemetery was also part of the dignified celebration. Gießener Informed General information about ...

a life full of challenges

Toni Hämmerle's life path was characterized by challenges. After the Second World War, Hämmerle worked as a caller at the Justus Liebig University in Gießen after losing his eyesight through a bomb attack. From 1950 he lived in Gießen and was actively involved in the Gießen Fassenacht Association. His compositions for artists such as Ernst Neger and Margit Sponheimer contributed to making him known beyond the borders of Hesse.

In a letter to the editor, a follower of Hämmerles expressed that exactly this place, which is now to be renamed, was of great importance for the composer because he lived and worked there. However, the political group GIGG/volt has submitted a counter application to call on the place after a female personality. She pleads for a citizen participation to develop alternative name suggestions.

legacy and honor

Toni Hämmerle died just three days before his 54th birthday, but his inheritance stays alive in Gießen. According to Heinrich Brinkmann, a neighbor and supporter of the Stele, his life's work would not have been realized to this extent without the support of his widow Tina. The idea of honoring him in the 111th year after his birth could also have a symbolic meaning for the Fastnachter in Gießen. Hämmerle's widow, who is now 95 years old, was able to see the stele with the bust of her husband from her window and is a living connection to the artist's rich history, which has significantly shaped the Hessian music world. Rule