At the end of May, the St. Ingbert hobby sculptor and stone artist Egon Irmscher passed away at the age of 86. Egon Irmscher was born in the Mark Brandenburg and grew up in Westphalia, but his final home was found after his studies in 1966 in St. Ingbert, where he was initially employed at the St. Ingbert Youth Welfare Office.
Egon Irmscher was the head of the social welfare office of the city of St. Ingbert from 1985 to 2005. A trained social pedagogue by profession, he was predestined for this responsible position, which he filled with great expertise, patience, sensitivity, and a constantly open ear for the worries and needs of the people.
However, he did not rest for a long time after his retirement. As a hobby sculptor, he acquired the necessary skills at the Summer Academy of the Biosphere VHS St. Ingbert under the guidance of master sculptor Hans-Walter Theobald to realize his dream of a Tuscan retirement home. For almost 20 years, he carved stones daily and then built them into place, which he had painstakingly obtained beforehand by demolishing old buildings around St. Ingbert. Full of enthusiasm and seemingly tireless, he thus created a small Italian oasis behind his house, which is probably unique in its unity.
The "little boot" on the roundabout at Südstraße/Ensheimer Straße also bears his signature. Together with other stone artists, a model was first designed, which was then realized in many hours of work with hammer and chisel.
"Egon Irmscher was a man of principle, heart, and humor. I got to know and appreciate him as a dedicated local expert, an interested companion of mining and local history, and also as a volunteer Santa Claus who brought joy to the children at the Luitpoldschule daycare for many years. He did much with his calm and pleasant manner and with that quiet self-evidence that makes a person so valuable. He was a person who listened and helped whenever he could," praised Mayor Dr. Ulli Meyer, honoring the former head of the social services office.
