Johannes Gerster did not experience the summer roll call of his Mainzer Ranzengarde, which met on Saturday around 3 p.m. in the courtyard of the Electoral Palace to honor him, among other things.

At the meeting, the Fastnachters wanted to celebrate the 250th birthday of the founder of the Guard, Johann Maria Kertell, and at the same time congratulate their Honorary General Field Marshal Gerster on their 80th birthday.

But only a few hours earlier, the former Mardi Gras prince "fell asleep peacefully with his relatives after a long and serious illness," as it became known during the day.

Markus Schug

Correspondent Rhein-Main-Süd.

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Instead of toasting together again and enjoying a four-color, corona-compliant program, his foolish colleagues only had to remember their long-term companion with a minute's silence and say goodbye.

Representatives of the people with body and soul

"With Johannes Gerster we are losing a great person, a veteran of the CDU, a thoroughbred politician and a role model," said the chairwoman of the Rhineland-Palatinate CDU, Federal Minister of Agriculture Julia Klöckner.

At his side, she herself was able to witness a number of Rose Monday procession as a guard.

"He was a good friend and advisor to me, he fought for his convictions, was extremely clever and took great pleasure in the debate."

The married father of three grown-up children has proven throughout his life that he hardly avoided political arguments and was always ready to fight for his views. In his hometown, the lawyer has regularly spoken up since the 1960s to point out grievances he has recognized. But Gerster also worked at the state level, not least as CDU chairman, and later in the federal government as a representative of the people.

At the latest in the fifth season, when the world was allowed to be turned upside down for a few days, the fast night was very well aware that one should not take everything too seriously. His diverse work has brought the restless, who one could never be angry with for long, numerous awards: the Great Cross of Merit with Star of the Federal Republic of Germany as well as the Ring of Honor of the City of Mainz. For Gerster, the title “Friend of Jerusalem”, which was bestowed in 2006 on the “Meenzer Bub”, who came from a Catholic family, could not have been topped. After all, it is the city's highest honor given to non-Jews.