Lutz Besch (1918 – 2000)
Lutz Besch was born in Kattowitz in 1918 and spent the first thirteen years of his life there. Then the family moved to Nauen near Berlin, where he completed his high school certificate and his degree in theatre arts.
In 1940 Besch was seriously injured in the French campaign. After his recovery he continued his studies and became a Doctor of Philosophy in 1944. He then worked for two years as a university assistant and later as an actor, dramatic advisor and director in Erfurt and Bremen.
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From 1951 Besch worked regularly at Radio Bremen where he got to know and respect Karl Heinrich Waggerl. A friendly relationship developed between the two men.
Finally, in 1967, the Besch family moved to Wagrain, where Lutz occupied himself with looking after Waggerl’s work. During Waggerl’s life and also after his death, Lutz published several books of Waggerl’s texts.
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if only they start with themselves. ...
Besch himself considered his main achievement to be, together with Waggerl, the setting up of the „Karl-Heinrich-Waggerl-Foundation“.
Donations from this time created a capital sum of money which still brings in an annual income today, and this is used to help young students from Wagrain.
Lutz Besch was also active in the founding of a scientifically oriented Waggerl Archive.
After Edith Waggerl’s death in 1990, the community of Wagrain fully took on the archival inspection and organisation of the Waggerl estate.
Together with the „Blaues Fenster“ cultural association, the reorganisation and restructuring of the family house to a museum open to the public was achieved and completed by 1994.
Lutz Besch died on 9 August, 2000 after a serious illness. His casket is buried in the Wagrain Cemetery.