Happy ending for car enthusiasts – Munich

They were very close to giving up. The self-employed master mechanic Peter Sommerer, 54, had an offer to work as an employee in another company. His son Max, 32, who did his apprenticeship with his father and grandfather and since then has only worked in their three-generation company, decided to do something completely different. Why not go to the garbage disposal? Start early, finish by noon, time to tinker around with the car in the afternoon. Because all three of them are crazy about cars, both professionally and privately, grandfather, son, grandson.

But what should grandpa do? Walter Sommerer, who had vehicles under his mechanic’s hands in Haidhausen for more than five decades, since 2009 together with his son Peter and grandson Maxi on Sedanstraße, in a backyard in the middle of Haidhausen? Who, at 85, was still in the workshop every morning, cleaning up, getting spare parts, driving cars to the TÜV? “The father would die if he had to stop because we couldn’t find anything for the three of us,” Peter Sommerer said with concern a year ago.

The butcher around the corner returned the favor with Leberkässemmel

For 13 years, the three Sommerers have been repairing cars together in their approximately 127 square meter small hall in the Haidhauser backyard with space for just four vehicles, in the warm warmth of their family. 99 percent of their customers, said Peter Sommerer, were from Haidhauser. The butcher around the corner, whose tires they quickly put on, reciprocated with Leberkässemmel. The neighbors stopped by for a chat, the children from the front building to help themselves to the pot-bellied jars of gummy bears in the workshop cupboard. And then, all of a sudden, the long-standing friendly relationship with the landlord, who owns the houses at Sedanstrasse 6 and 8 as well as the two back buildings, stuttered badly. They got fired.

Peter Sommerer looked around for a new workshop in Munich, but had to realize that everything that wasn’t sold under the hand, where he might get a chance, was far too expensive. At the beginning of last year, he placed an ad on Ebay: “Looking for a landlord with heart for my three-generation car business” – with a picture in which the Munich photographer Susie Knoll staged the three men in the style of a craftsman boy group has: Walter with red pliers, Peter with a hammer, Maxi with a grinding machine, all three oil stains on their faces. They didn’t find the right workshop either.

The three from the workshop: With this photo, in which they are a little younger, master mechanic Peter Sommerer was looking for a new workshop on Ebay.

(Photo: Susie Knoll)

In August 2022 there was a court date, “with a super nice judge,” says Peter Sommerer, who gave them another postponement until January 31, 2023. And then, last October, finally, the redeeming twist: The Münchner Gewerbehof- und Technologiezentrumsgesellschaft (MGH), a municipal subsidiary where Sommerer was on the waiting list for rooms, announced that they could rent a small workshop in the Perlach industrial complex. At an affordable price.

The neighbors gave all three new overalls as parting gifts

Because he had to pay the previous tenant a transfer fee for the facility, Peter Sommerer “now has a lot of debt, of course – but that’ll be fine,” he says confidently. For three months, in addition to their normal work, they toiled moving. “There was no Christmas, no New Year’s Eve,” says the 54-year-old. They painted their new rooms, tore down a wall to have more space in the workshop, downsized the office to gain a storage room. On January 9th they were able to open in the small Perlacher industrial area on Nailastraße. On December 19, they closed Haidhausen to clear out the old workshop – which, they heard, is now to be converted into an apartment. The neighbors helped, says Peter Sommerer, also brought mulled wine and gave all three new overalls as parting gifts.

A few former neighbors have also come to Perlach to see how the Sommerers are doing out there on the southern outskirts, near the technical relief organization, recycling center and other car dealerships. Peter Sommerer draws a first balance after the few weeks at the new location: their regular customers remain largely loyal to them, and they can also keep customers of the previous tenant.

It’s different than in Haidhausen, because it’s on the outskirts. But that’s a good thing

Sure, it’s no longer the lively, urban Haidhausen – but the quarter is changing so much anyway, the craft “dies out of there”. Parking spaces were becoming increasingly scarce for customers’ cars as well as their own, “that wouldn’t have been long anyway”. Peter Sommerer mentions in passing that he spent a good 150 euros on traffic tickets every month. Out there, in the Perlacher industrial complex, they now have enough parking space for their customers’ cars and their own. They have a short commute to work because they all live nearby, in Altperlach and Giesing respectively. Can also do louder work like flexing in the evenings without disturbing anyone. Have nice new neighbors who they plan to throw a housewarming party with soon.

“Mia is completely happy now,” assures Peter Sommerer, his father can finally relax again and sleep peacefully again. If only it weren’t for this “barrage”, especially this high heap of tires and all sorts of junk in front of the door, which they just haven’t got rid of yet. The grandfather, who recently turned 86, throws a disapproving look at it. Says embarrassed: “Please don’t take photos!” and, with a wink in the direction of his son: “if someone would clean it up…”. And when everything is really nice, Walter Sommerer jokes, “then the customers are only allowed in here with gloves and a top hat”.

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