Werner Deschauer was born in the Rhön town of Geisa on December 6, 1935. He spent his childhood in the war, helping out in his parents’ liquor store at the age of 7. The father had fallen, the family had to struggle to maintain their livelihood.
After a commercial apprenticeship, which laid the foundations for his later economic success, he worked as a beer driver and later at the Geisa town hall. In 1956, Werner and his brother Hubert made the decision to flee to the “West”, as they saw no further professional prospects for themselves in their beloved homeland. Her path led her to the Ruhr region in Bochum. The early days were very difficult, but through hard work they were eventually able to open their first own business. In 1962, the Deschauer company was on a real expansion course. In the following years, more branches were opened and the family business continued to grow. But for this, the family business worked almost around the clock.
Werner found happiness in his private life with Anneliese Pabst, a saleswoman from Dorndorf/Rhön in Thuringia. They were married on August 28, 1960, at St. Elisabeth’s Church in Bochum-Gerthe. Anneliese joined the company and was by his side for over six decades.
In his book “From East to West and Back,” Werner Deschauer described his career path in the words of the Swiss writer Emil Oesch:
“There is no lift to success. You have to use the stairs.”
But despite all their professional success, the longing for their old homeland never left them. Since the peaceful revolution and the opening of the inner-German border in 1989, Mr. and Mrs. Deschauer have always been very happy to visit Geisa.
Since the Werner Deschauer Foundation Geisa was founded in 1998, the Deschauer couple has been involved in the foundation’s board of trustees to implement the foundation’s goals for the benefit of the town of Geisa and its citizens. A major impulse for the further development of the town of Geisa was given by the renovation of the historic baroque castle in Geisa, which houses the headquarters of the Point Alpha Foundation. The baroque castle, once the seat of the prince abbots of Fulda, had stood empty for many years and was able to be extensively renovated and furnished with the help of the donor couple Werner and Anneliese Deschauer.
In 2003, Werner Deschauer was made an honorary citizen of the town of Geisa for his extraordinary commitment, and on March 24, 2006, he received the Cross of Merit on Ribbon of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany. On May 31, 2005, the Geisa City Council decided to give the name “Werner-Deschauer-Strasse” to the street where his childhood home is located as a further sign of recognition for the services of the honorary citizen.
Of supra-regional importance is the ANNELIESE DESCHAUER Gallery, opened in 2018, which was established by the Deschauer couple in cooperation with the town of Geisa and has become a center for art, culture and science. It also tells the life story of the entrepreneur couple Deschauer.
Werner Deschauer has rendered outstanding services to his hometown. The citizens of Geisa owe a lot to his work.
On March 18, 2023, Werner Deschauer passed away at his home in Bochum at the age of 87.
His traces will still be felt by future generations, who will remember with gratitude a man who cared so much about the homeland and the people.
