Press
In an interview, Reinhold Messner (79) takes stock. The mountaineering idol talks about one of the most difficult moments – his family was broken by it.
Bolzano – Mountaineering legend Reinhold Messner will be 80 years old in September. But things are not always going well for Messner, especially in old age – he recently drew attention to himself with a thoughtful Instagram post in which he wrote: “I am coming to the end”. Now the 79-year-old is talking about the situation in his family. In an interview with pharmacy magazine Messer provides insights into his relationship with his children, which was strained by his decision to leave them the majority of his assets in his will before his death.
Reinhold Messner talks about the biggest mistake of his life – 79-year-old was “on the brink”
Messner says of his children: “One of my biggest mistakes was that I left them most of my wealth in my will before I died. They don’t understand that everything was a gift and don’t appreciate the value of my generosity.” This is very disappointing to him, especially compared to his own childhood, when there was nothing to inherit except respect and gratitude.
Messner explains to the pharmacy magazine continued: “We were a large family, many siblings, and we looked after our parents in their old age. For me it was the other way round. The moment I had distributed my material inheritance to my children and wife, the family fell apart. The question of who got more was paramount and at 75 I was on the brink of collapse.”
Reinhold Messner |
17 September 1944 |
Brixen (South Tyrol) |
Member of the European Parliament (1999-2004) |
Climbing Mount Everest without oxygen |
When asked whether he hopes that the relationship will improve again, Messner replies: “What father or parent doesn’t want that?” He stresses that everyone has to find their own way instead of following in the footsteps of others: “Everyone has to follow their own path, go their own way.”
“I’m coming to the end”: Reinhold Messner caused concern among his fans
Messner recently caused concern among fans with an Instagram post: “I’m coming to the end, that’s the reality,” said the mountaineering legend. Messner’s post caused great concern among some fans.
Messner continued in his post: “I leave with a clear conscience and the knowledge that I was a good person, did my best, was a loving father, a good friend and a good brother. Now it is time to live my final dreams and love the people who mean a lot to me, but the most important thing is gratitude.”
Even many years after the end of his climbing career, Messner is one of the most famous mountaineers in the world. He was the first person ever to climb all eight-thousanders. In his home region of South Tyrol, however, another Messner has been the focus of attention in recent months: his younger brother Hubert Messner (71), a former pediatrician who has also taken part in several expeditions, has recently become the health minister for the northern Italian region.
Recently, there was also a stir about the revocation of Reinhold Messner’s Guinness Book of Records. The mountaineer spoke of “conspiracy theories”.
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