Dismay in Perg: "Mister Manner" Josef Irsiegler died unexpectedly

2023-08-04 07:53:00

“If you focus on a goal and trust in your strengths, you will succeed.” Josef Irsiegler remained true to this motto throughout his life. At work as well as in his hobbies, which the busy Perger pursued with passion? whether as a youth trainer in the Perg rifle club or in his garage while restoring unusual vintage cars.

The trained baker found his professional fulfillment at the confectionery manufacturer Manner. Irsiegler was production manager at the Manner plant in Perg for 35 years. During this time, a close personal friendship developed with the Manner family in Vienna, which also endured after Irsiegler’s retirement: every year he brought a Christmas tree to the private villa of company boss Carl Manner in Vienna.

Irsiegler was happy to show his solidarity with his long-term employer. The typical dusky pink and the striking logo of the pattern manufacturer were almost always present on his everyday wardrobe ? be it as a t-shirt, fleece jacket or cap. The nickname “Mister Manner” preceded him in vain for years.

This also applied to the paintwork on some of his classic cars. About the roadster with which he ? disguised in an Easter bunny costume? drove through the district of Perg to distribute chocolate eggs to children. At Christmas, Irsiegler liked to park a horse-drawn sleigh painted pink in the center of Perg to collect letters to the Christkind, which he took to the Christkindl post office in Steyr. Needless to say, the fact that his bike, on which he did a longer lap every morning for fitness purposes, was painted in Manner’s color.

However, three of his favorite vintage cars remained in their original paintwork: A red Audi 80 GL from 1973, a Citroen HP5 Cabrio from 1922 and his great pride: A Fiat Cabrio from 1910, which he bought in Cologne in 1989 and at home in 3000 Working hours completely rebuilt. There are only two copies of this model left in the world: one in the Fiat Museum in Turin and the other in Perg. Just two months ago, Irsiegler opened a private museum in his house in Zeitling, in which he combined his two great passions under one roof: his vintage cars and an extensive review of the history of the Manner company in Perg.

However, Josef Irsiegler also left his mark in sport: more precisely among the shooters, where he was not called by his first name but was known by his nickname “Daniel”. Irsiegler was the upper rifleman’s champion of the Perger rifle club for 18 years and organized numerous tournaments. “Daniel” was particularly successful as a youth trainer for air rifles and crossbows. The high point was the gold medal at the European Crossbow Championships in 1994 by the junior team of Hartmut Wahl and Martin Spindelberger, and Hartmut Wahl’s European Champion title in the 30-meter kneeling with a European record. In 2006, Richard Wollhofen won the junior vice world championship title in the crossbow. Irsiegler’s recipe for success in coaching: He relied on mental training: “Thousands of things rain down on the children in everyday life. It is becoming increasingly difficult for them to ignore all of this in competition. For his services, he was appointed consultant for sports in Upper Austria in 2018. Also Irsiegler got involved as treasurer in the founding of the Perger carnival guild and launched the popular donut shooting in the Schützenheim.

Wherever Josef Irsiegler got involved, he always emphasized how grateful he was to his wife Ulrike for the understanding she showed him and his hobbies. Because family was important to him: He fulfilled his role as grandfather in particular with great warmth and enthusiasm. On Wednesday evening, Josef Irsiegler was completely unexpectedly torn from this loving environment by a sudden cardiac death.