© Illustration: Pietari Posti
It's the eye catcher in the Tegernsee valley at Christmas time: every year, Uli Hoeneß has a tree decorated to get in the mood for the holiday season. In FC Bayern members' magazine '51', the honorary president of FC Bayern explains how he sees Christmas – and what message the tree is supposed to convey, far beyond Tegernsee.
The lake rests still and rigid... and on its high shore it glows like Christmas. Since the beginning of November, Uli Hoeneß has once again decorated his 30-metre high Christmas tree in the Tegernsee valley. More than 950 lights create anticipation for Christmas Eve, and the honorary president of FC Bayern is keen to set the scene early for the Advent season. "We get so many letters at home and are asked so often when we will finally light the tree again," he says. "I think that especially in these times, when people's everyday lives are constantly overshadowed by worries and bad news, we long for a light that gives hope and illuminates the future."
Picture postcard: The splendour can also be admired from the opposite shore of the lake. | © picture alliance
It takes two days to decorate the tree – there are actually two, which are grown together. Hoeneß has to smile when asked whether he will climb the ladder himself to fix the lamps: of course he can't, a crane comes in, everything has to be done professionally. He can't remember exactly when his family started this tradition, but it was a good five or six years ago that they decided to do it for the first time, even then with the intention of bringing a little Christmas spirit to the people of Tegernsee. A woman from the lakeshore opposite wrote to them just recently: "We get up at 5:30 in the morning with your wonderfully illuminated tree and go to bed with it at 11:30 pm – thank you so much!"
When worries overshadow the time, people long for light.
Uli Hoeneß
When the Hoeneß family decided not to decorate the tree one year because of the energy crisis, they were approached everywhere, at the bakery and wherever they went, asking if they could light it up again. Even the mayor got in touch about it, says the FCB honorary president with a smile. "At the time we simply had the feeling that it wasn't the right sign if people were worried about rising energy costs," he explains. "Somehow it didn't seem appropriate for the time." But the following year, they were happy to comply with the general request again. And of course, energy-saving LED lamps are always used.
People can see the tree shining until after Epiphany, with many travelling there especially to photograph it. Of course, it develops its full Christmas splendour when it is dark and it outshines a snow-covered landscape. "It's particularly beautiful this year," says Hoeneß, "it has grown another 30 centimetres in the past few months." And so it stands there, with the wish "that it gives people a bit of stability in these times, that it gives hope and makes us all realise that there is always a light at the end of the darkness," he explains. "Christmas has always been and always will be a celebration of family, a time to pause and be together. I am convinced that all problems can be solved in a community – and this year in particular, a Christmas tree with its signalling effect is even more justified than ever before."
A Christmas message from head coach Vincent Kompany:
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