The michelau fire department can look back on a busy year, including 86 operations. At the annual general meeting, an increase in membership fees was unanimously approved. These are from the year 2018 for individual members 15 euros (previously 12) and for families 25 euros (previously 20).
In his review of 2017, chairman markus rubensaal recalled the st. John’s bonfire on the mainwiese, which was held for the third year, and the christmas market organized by the fire department association. The market saw a significant drop in the number of visitors last year. The concept will be reconsidered, said rubensaal.
The fire department association had a good year for the 31st time. December 307 members. These were divided into 52 active members, twelve youth members, 32 members of the children’s fire department, five honorary members and 206 demand members. The chairman thanked all the helpers who had supported the club’s activities. Numerous events have already been scheduled for 2018. The st. John’s fire will take place on 23. It is expected that the fire brigade will again hold its annual meeting on the mainwiese in june, depending on how far the work to rebuild the dike in this area has progressed by then.
Commander andre gagel reported that the fire department had a total of 86 operations in 2017. These were divided into 31 fire operations, 26 technical assistance and 29 other operations, such as first responders, security guards and the like. The new logistics truck 1 (GW-L1) was picked up in march 2017 from the company junghanns in hof. Three active firefighters completed the "fall protection" course visits. Eight new respirators were trained at a course in michelau. Of the current 53 active members, 40 are male and 13 female.
The children’s fire department was also very active, as its leader christine fischer reported. The current number of members here is 33, 20 of them boys and 13 girls. Since the 1. January of this year, the children’s fire department now falls under the responsibility of the municipality due to a change in the bavarian fire department law (previously fire department association; note: the children’s fire department is now part of the municipality). D. Verf.). Youth warden and deputy commandant holger fortsch again reported on an impressive series of events. In addition to the 46 scheduled drills, events at the district level were attended, including a 24-hour drill. The young people also lent a hand at many club activities. The calendar for the current year is already well filled again. The reports of the function carriers from the areas of equipment control, clothing and respiratory protection also love to see that in addition to operations and exercises very much was and is done. During the debate on the reports there were no requests to speak.
The next item on the agenda was the regular election of the new board of directors. The election of the chairman had to take place by secret ballot in accordance with the articles of association. As the only proposed candidate, markus rubensaal was re-elected with three votes against and 38 eligible to vote. The other votes were taken by show of hands. Deputy chairman holger knab was re-elected with one dissenting vote. According to the articles of association, the two commanders, the youth director and the youth spokesman are also members of the executive board.

The company run has never been more sporting than at the jubilaums old town festival. Most of the runners of the 21 teams of companies and groups are passionate athletes: among them were the tough monks, who are known for their participation in the sparta fight. "Nxtlevel by poja" sends two teams into the race at once. And also crossfit and the fit’n’ fun were part of the party.

Nevertheless, the one-kilometer course was a challenge even for the well-trained sports starters. And after the preliminary round, some of them realized that they had started too quickly and that the final would be difficult for them.

The fastest team was the cross-fit team. With a total time of 15:53 it topped the results of the other teams in the preliminary round by nine seconds. Even in the final round, the cross-fitters still had enough air and ended up unchallenged in first place. They completed the funf-kilometer distance in 15 minutes and 24 seconds – leaving everyone else far behind them.

When ursula rybczynski, then 18, met helmut hoffmann, then 21, at a dance in hagenbuchach in 1968, it was immediately clear to her: "it’s him – either him or nobody else!" Almost one and a half years later the wedding bells rang in emskirchen, and now the two celebrated on 3. January 2020 their golden wedding anniversary in their adopted home town of oberreichenbach.

Ursula hoffmann, originally from crimmitschau in saxony, first came from saxony to schrozberg, baden-wurttemberg, as a small child, and then moved with her family to oberreichenbach to do an apprenticeship as a seamstress at the textile company seeland, where she was also employed for ten years. Her husband helmut, born in emskirchen, followed his sweetheart to oberreichenbach after the wedding. There daughter birgit was born a few months after the wedding, followed four years later by daughter katja and after a long time in 1990 by son christian. In the meantime, all the children have grown up naturally, gone their own ways and moved away from oberreichenbach, and the hoffmanns are enjoying their retirement.

An honorary painter

Helmut hoffmann worked for the painting and stucco company roderus for 51 years, and even now he still swings the paint rollers and brushes on a voluntary basis whenever there is something to paint or wallpaper in oberreichenbach. Otherwise, he is active in sports, such as cycling or gymnastics, and takes care of his 90-year-old mother-in-law. While his wife ursula is passionate about guessing and losing sudokus, helmut hoffmann also likes to assemble lego models.