The adult education centers (VHS) offer courses in all areas of life. Exciting stories meet interesting people. In a row the home newspaper looks behind the scenes of the adult education centers and meets the people who make it out
It’s Thursday evening. The classrooms of the vocational school have long been empty. But suddenly a loud hammering booms through the abandoned corridors. It comes from the wood workshop. Light is still burning there. The workbenches are almost all occupied. One of the participants is striking a mesh with full force on a sculpture iron. Behind it scraps another woman filigree patterns in a piece of wood. In the middle of it is Peter Wirsching and looks satisfied with the work of his protégés in the VHS course for wood carvings.
“These are all advanced,” he says with a grin, and steps a bit to the side when VHS director Kristin Sterr, together with the VHS chairman Helmut Hornung, joins curious. “We are proud that they are part of the VHS,” says Sterr to Wirsching and congratulates him. She came to thank him for 50 years as a course instructor at the facility. “They stand for resistance, passion and dedication,” enthuses Sterr and surprises him with a plump gift basket. They are already in the middle of the conversation.
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Most of the participants have been there for many years
“At a time when everything goes digitally, people want to do something else,” says the master wood sculptor. His advanced participants are a committed community. Most have been there for many years. There is still a free place in the beginner course when a registered person canceled. That rarely occurs. “Actually, it is always fully booked,” reports the Dießener, who runs his own workshop in his home town. The courses in Weilheim are a welcome change in daily work for the 83-year-old: “For me, these are important social contacts. I enjoy being part of the group.”
“After my courses they look at many things differently”
In 1975 he started working as a course instructor in the agricultural school. Later the courses took place in the former VHS, now in the new. “There have never been any arguments. Everything has always run harmoniously,” he thinks back to the many nice evenings. “I want to teach the participants the school of seeing,” explains Wirsching and adds: “After my courses, they look at many things differently.”
Together he develops the next project with each individual. The ideas are discussed in detail. Then it goes to the implementation. “Sometimes I also have to promote courage,” says the master wood sculptor, who particularly attaches importance to the fact that he passed on to craftsmanship well. The impressive workpieces of the participants prove that he succeeds. It is difficult to believe that there are no professionals, but hobby carvers.
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Peter Wirsching has exhibited his own works worldwide
Wirsching learned at the technical school for wood sculpture in Garmisch. “My mother would have preferred to see me academically,” he recalls. But at the age of 13 he commuted daily by train to the training facility. After several years than journeyman in various companies, he passed the master’s examination in 1972 and successfully became self -employed. He never regretted this decision: “I could always live from my job.”
But again and again he was drawn out into the world. Whether in Australia, France or England: its exhibitions were well received internationally. Today he takes care of a lot of commissioned work in Dießen, is now taking it easy and likes to spend his free time on the golf course. As long as health allows, he would like to pass on his knowledge in the VHS. The jubilee is particularly pleased that his courses have always been full for 50 years: “It is a sign that you probably don’t make it wrong.”
