“Nomen est omen” is what they say. But is that also true? The Swiss psychiatrist Carl Gustav Jung, the founder of analytical psychology, pointed out in his book “The Relationships Between the Self and the Unconscious” that there are sometimes really crazy connections between a person’s name and their life decisions. He asked: “Are these coincidences?” We’ll just pass the question on. To people whose names clearly have a certain connection with their profession. Or not?
Philipp Lahm, footballer
“On the football field and at school it was sometimes said: ‘The lame is lame again’ or: ‘Philip is lame again.’ So of course I wanted to prove that it wasn’t like that. My luck was that I played for the football team at an early age and was able to disprove the slogans very well. That helped me, otherwise I might have one or two comments taken more to heart. But it would go too far to say that the name was an incentive for me to become a faster player. In the course of my career, the comments were over at some point. Except for a time at Bayern when Mehmet Scholl once called me ‘Wireless Lahm’. You know Mehmet, that was meant as fun. I don’t know how he came up with it, maybe he meant that I got a good reception. In fact, I like my last name a lot , also because it has one big advantage: It is short, which is useful if you can give a lot of signatures on the job. “
Karlheinz Augendübler, optician
“I’m happy with my name. A lot of people can’t believe that I was really born as an eye-plugger. They think my name is Dübler and that ‘eyes’ were only there because I’m an optician. I tell them:’ I have married, my wife was called Augen, my name is Dübler. ‘ I’ve been an optician here in Cologne for 65 years, so I can allow myself a little joke. I started my apprenticeship when I was 13, and back then you were happy to have an apprenticeship. My parents had no money, I went to college I became an optician by chance. I like to work, even after 65 years of work I don’t want to quit. My wife wouldn’t have been married to me for 55 years if I sat at home all day. The origins of my name I’ve heard two stories: First, about a funny wink, second, from the cathedral builder who used to use the dowels with a sense of proportion. “
Simone child father, midwife
“I’ve been a midwife for 35 years. I like everything about the midwifery profession. When people ask me my name, that happens about once a month, I’m happy. In the past, a pediatric nurse on the ward always called me ‘nanny’ for fun. called when my help was needed in the delivery room. The name child father used to refer to people who worked as educators. I looked for a man suitable for my profession. I was a midwife before I was called child father. When I was my husband, a gentleman Child father, met, I thought to myself: ‘That fits in every relationship.’ “
Denis Wurm, undertaker
“I’ve been working as an undertaker for 18 years and my name is spoken to at least once a month. Some say: If someone with this name can survive on the funeral market, it can’t be that bad. Two months ago we even had a customer who decided in favor of us because of the name. He thought it was cute. If something goes wrong, I can moderate it easily: ‘There was probably the worm in there,’ I say. Family tradition made me an undertaker, I’ve been in charge for five years our company. What I find best is the versatility of the job. You deal with relatives, you deal with the deceased, you are out and about a lot, I think the physical work is great. I don’t know exactly where my name comes from. Im Old Germans gave it the word ‘wyrm’, which was a synonym for dragon. “
Franz Schwinghammer, building contractor
“I have been working as a building contractor since 1982. The name Schwinghammer comes from South Tyrol. The Schwinghammers were probably blacksmiths. Strangers call me Schwinghammer, friends call me Franz, but no one has ever said that my name fits my job.”