Waldbühne Gilching

August Wurm (11.11.1925–7.8.2017) was a passionate amateur botanist, literature lover and local historian who lived and passed on his extensive knowledge and enthusiasm in a very personal way. Although he was a trained gardener, he worked for many decades on a voluntary basis and on his own initiative – without any academic background or professional obligations – as a committed nature educator and cultural promoter.

In his self-built special tree nursery in Gilching, he created a paradise for children, nature lovers and culture enthusiasts: with rare plants, a forest stage, a ‘literary café’ and self-organised events. His great love was rose grafting and medicinal plant science, which he imparted to laymen and expert visitors with great passion.

Wurm founded the "Waldbühne August Wurm" in his tree nursery and often appeared in plays or literary evenings himself, reciting poems from memory and was known for his charming, folksy humour. Even after the end of his professional career – most recently as a librarian – he remained an active amateur in the fields of botany, poetry, theatre and public education, driven by idealism, a thirst for knowledge and the joy of sharing.

Claus-Thilo Schneider

One of the directors and actors who staged plays by William Shakespeare, Lope de Vega, Arthur Schnitzler amongst others on the "Waldbühne Gilching" was Claus-Thilo Schneider (1920–2004). Some of the actors and actresses were members of the Gilchinger Kantorei, the choir of St. Johannes, which was conducted at the time by Ruth Opitz.