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An incredible 87 times for a spa treatment in Bad Tölz: Irmgard Steinhard (centre, pink jacket) celebrates with Dr. Felicitas Stocker (commercial manager and chief orthopedic physician at the Buchberg Clinic, to the left), spa and tourism director Brita Hohenereiter (to the right) and many long-time acquaintances from her stays. © Arndt Pröhl
Irmgard Steinhard has travelled to Bad Tölz for a health cure an incredible 87 times. She is now celebrating her 90th birthday together with long-time companions.
Bad Tölz – A hug here, a handshake there. Irmgard Steinhard is a sought-after person this afternoon. This is the 87th time she has been to Bad Tölz for a spa treatment. At the Buchberg Clinic, she is now almost a member of the family. Steinhard recently turned 90. And she really wanted to celebrate with her long-time friends in the spa town. Numerous guests have come for the occasion, but Steinhard immediately stands out from the crowd. With a smile on her face, she hands out specially made chocolate hearts to the guests.
Irmgard Steinhard travels 87 times to Bad Tölz for a health cure: memories of Schafkopf evenings with the city councillors
Irmgard Steinhard is almost a minor celebrity in Bad Tölz. She first went on a health cure in the 1970s, back then at the Oberland Clinic. She used to drive herself, but now her children take the 90-year-old to Bad Tölz. “When I went to a health cure, I drove faster because I was looking forward to it. And it always took me longer to get back,” Steinhard remembers and laughs. The 90-year-old lives in Friedberg near Augsburg.
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During her stays over the years, she not only tried out the entire range of the health clinic, but also all the inns and pubs in the area. She used to go to the “Jägerwirt” more often or meet up with Tölz city councillors to play Schafkopf, she remembers. One of the inns, where she particularly liked to go dancing, was known locally as the “Nahkampfbahn”, she says with a wink. But she also always enjoyed long hikes. “Bad Tölz was always my fountain of youth,” she explains. The town is more than just a holiday destination for Irmgard Steinhard. “Bad Tölz has become my second home,” she says. “I like the town and the Bavarian people,” says the Friedberg native.
“Half of Tölz owns her knitted socks”
A pin of Saint Leonard is one of her constant companions. She comes up to three times a year. She has always paid for it herself, the trained businesswoman emphasizes. When asked whether she has ever been to a health resort somewhere else, she just shakes her head. “I have never been anywhere else and it will stay that way.”
Brita Hohenreiter, the spa and tourism director, was also among those offering her congratulations. “She knits for everyone she knows and likes. Half of Tölz probably owns her knitted socks by now,” says Hohenreiter. A few pairs of Steinhard’s socks are hanging on a string on the wall. “But those are by no means all the ones I’ve knitted.” (Amina Nuissar/Vinzent Fischer)
