Michael Müller has been the home nurse of Taufkirchen for two years. But what exactly does he have to look after in his office? Müller wants to investigate this question together with the adult education center in the event series “Homeland in conversation”. At the beginning on Wednesday it’s about the traditional clubs in town. In the interview, Müller explains what other topics are planned – and what he himself understands by home.
SZ: Mr. Müller, what is home for you?
Michael Müller: This is exactly the question I asked myself when I was approached at the time as to whether I wanted to take over the office of home curator. The answer is certainly more complex for me than for someone who was born and raised in a place like Taufkirchen, who has lived here for decades and is deeply rooted.
Whereas you only moved to Taufkirchen in 1998 …
I am originally from Lower Franconia and then moved further and further south. That’s why I have a different connection to the topic of home. For me, Taufkirchen is my home, but also the place in Lower Franconia where I grew up. Above all, I refer to home to people who are important to me, to my family and to our children.
Michael Müller serving food on the Johannidult in the Taufkirchner Heimatmuseum Wolfschneiderhof.
(Photo: Claus Schunk)
Today – unlike 80 years ago – predominantly newcomers live in Taufkirchen. The ideas of home are likely to be correspondingly different here.
And it is precisely this diversity that we want to address in the series of talks. Home – that can be faith. Or cultural life. Or the traditional clubs that Wednesday will be about. At the same time, we also want to show completely different perspectives in the series of talks – for example from refugees who live here in the feel-home houses. They had to leave their home behind and are now trying to build a new home for themselves.
Not only the point of view, but also the respective time decides on the understanding of home. After all, hardly any term has seen such a change in the past few decades.
One should not forget that the idea of home is always shaped to a certain extent by politics and by the powerful. During the Nazi era, the term was misused for propaganda purposes. In the 1960s there was a revolt – especially by young people – against something that they saw as homeland drudgery. I too belonged to this generation and only noticed later, when I was older, that something was missing. For me, home is something very dynamic. My definition of home today is different than it was 20 years ago – and it will certainly be different again in ten years.
The start of the series of events “Home in conversation” will take place this Wednesday from 7.30 p.m. – due to the pandemic, it will be a purely online format. The topic of the evening will be the traditional local clubs from boys to warriors, the chairmen of which will not only present their clubs, but will also debate the various ideas about home. Participation in the event is free; a registration under www.vhs-taufkirchen.de necessary.