car freak, athlete, full-time grandpa: Gerhard Bittel had many talents. Now the Erdinger Franke died at the age of 73 years.

Erding – Actually Gerhard Bittel wanted to on father's day something with his family – run business with both sons, their wives and the six grandchildren. "Since we have not noticed that something was wrong with him," says son Bernhard. A stroke, as it turned out. A few days later, the 73-Year-old died. "He was the Erdinger Franke", describe him and his sons.

Gerhard Bittel was born in Herzogenaurach, Germany, and completed his apprenticeship as a shoemaker. "When Adi Dassler personally," says son, Franz, "has also signed his certificate of Apprenticeship". Later, Gerhard Bittel was as a football player for the 1. FC Herzogenaurach, Germany, is active. When he played in the First, kicked Lothar Matthäus in the E-youth.

18 years old, Gerhard Bittel wanted to join the army. The basic training he graduated in Hamburg, then he came to the mountain hunters to Brannenburg, where he discovered his love for the mountains and skiing. He enlisted as a soldier, made his car mechanic master, and opened in Röthenbach near Nuremberg, the first Ford dealership in the area. "He was at the age of 24 one of the youngest founders in Swiss francs," say his sons. "At the opening of the entire Ford Zakspeed racing team was there at the time."

1975 learned the dealership owner while skiing in Lofer, the Erdingerin Gaby Löffler know. In 1977, was married in Haindl began in 1981 and, in 1982, in Erlangen came the sons Bernhard and Franz to the world. "Our grandfather, Albert Löffler told that at that time in Erding, none of them understood how an Erdinger business woman can marry a Swiss francs to draws then to him," tell Bernhard and Franz, laughing. The Löfflers had a hairdressing salon in the Long line. For Albert, the first Erdinger carnival Prince after the war, was not a Problem. So he led his son-in-law, always when he was with his Gaby to visit in the Erdinger society, went with him to hunt, to fish, to the Stammtisch, or to the sheep's heads.

Albert Loeffler was after a stroke, to the care of the case, leaving the Bittels in Swiss francs everything and moved in 1983 to Erding. Here Gerhard Bittel founded the company car Sempt, which he led until 2003, before he started as a graduate engineer and Automotive expert independently.

The former Barber shop in the Löffler-house was rented to family Pacini, who opened the ice-cream parlour "Firenze". Gerhard Bittel had the idea of an outdoor Seating and this Please the then mayor Gerd Vogt. The refused with the words: "The Long line is a road and not a beer garden." Bittel was successful and received approval. Pitches were replaced, chairs and tables from Italy brought. "He was a pioneer, and he has left Erding", says Franz Bittel proud of.

Franke was now fully integrated, not least because he was represented in many Clubs, such as Tennis and squash club, he was also a founding and Board member of the soccer club Cosmos Erding. Finally, football came to, because his sons TSV Erding the Puck pursued. And since his skills as a car once asked a mechanic. "Scott Campbell was at the time, my small student-to-coach," says Bernhard Bittel with a grin, "Scotti had damaged the car, he has to get provided by the Association. He has asked my father if he could fix that, secretly, what he has done.“ Not only for its clientele Gerhard Bittel was the "car-mechanic", but he always stood each time, each with advice and act to the side.

eight years Ago, diseased Gaby Bittel of cancer, a year later, Gerhard. "In spite of the necessary treatments, she enjoyed her life with the grandchildren and were traveling a lot," say the sons. But four years ago, Gaby died. "After that Gerhard was "a full-time grandpa," was Bernhard and Franz Bittel agreed. In the case of six active grandchildren he had to do plenty of and also a lot with the bike on the road.

"Well, a week before his death he said: My goal is to be healthy 80, but if it hits me tomorrow, me too on the floor, because I lived for three'," says Franz Bittel, and his brother Bernhard adds: "The Erdinger Franke way never wanted more, now he finds his last rest."