Music and singing – these were hans knauer’s passions. Whether as an organist of st. Anna or as a conductor of the singing club "cacilia-lyra" or as a musician of the well-known dance band
"Melody and rhythm. The enthusiastic musician sab 60 years as an organist on the organ bench of the pilgrimage church and over 50 years he held the conductor’s baton of the "lyra" in the hand. Through his musical skills, he was an integral part of the cultural and ecclesiastical life of weilersbach for many decades. Hans knauer has now passed away at the age of 84. At the BRK senior citizens’ and nursing home in forchheim, where he was lovingly cared for by his family and the nursing staff for two years.
With him, weilersbach loses a man who was always proud of his home town. Hans knauer was a weilersbacher with body and soul. He was born here in 1937 and spent his entire life with his family. As a trained weaver, he spent his entire working life at the weaving mill in forchheim.
In addition to the joy of music, his heart belonged to his family with his wife gertraud, his sons rudiger and matthias, as well as his four grandchildren and children-in-law, for whom he was always there. "Music was my life," said "knauers hans" himself at the beginning of january 2019 at an honorary evening of the choral society, when he was honored for 65 years of loyalty.
He learned to play the violin at the age of eight from the then city bandmaster lohnert from forchheim, and later from the bamberg symphonist rudolf palmer, who also advised him to play the organ and piano. At the age of 18, sab knauer for the first time at the organ of st. Anna. In the same year, he took over the two choirs "lyra" (unterweilersbach) and "cacilia" (oberweilersbach) as conductor and as the youngest choir leader in the french choral society and was later instrumental in their merger. In addition, he belonged to the dance band "melodie und rhythmus".
Knauer received the "coarse honorary plate" from the community of weilersbach in 1982 and the "badge of honor for services in honorary office" from the bavarian minister-president in 1995.
Hans knauer will die this friday, 19. November, buried in the weilersbach cemetery. The memorial service begins at 13:00.30 o’clock in the parish church st. Anna.