“My mother devoted her whole life to work. There was no holding her back, she was always moving forward,” says her son Ferdinand Bernhofer.
Growing up on a farm in Höhnhart, Berta Bernhofer learned from an early age what it means to help out in the family business. In 1952 she met Ferdinand Bernhofer, who wanted to convert what was then the Bernhofer hammer mill into a drop forge. “Of course, back then it wasn’t necessarily an industry in which many women worked. It was about setting up a business for mechanical engineering and engine construction. But that’s where love falls,” says son Ferdinand. A year later they got married in Höhnhart.
However, the life of energetic and tireless Berta Bernhofer was also overshadowed by a few strokes of fate. Her beloved husband died in 1975, and she subsequently had to take over his place as head of the family and company. “Without my mother and the support of numerous leading employees, such as Gerald Gattringer, our company would not have been able to continue,” says her son, who joined the Bernhofer company in 1987 and from then on managed the business with his mother. “It was always very harmonious, I enjoyed working with my mother. She was a great role model for me and she really wanted me to join the company,” he says.
However, Berta Bernhofer did not stop working even in old age. Residing on the premises, she was constantly surrounded by work. “In recent years, my mother has always asked, ‘Well, what else should I do if I don’t work?'” her son recalls.
In 2008, the senior boss of the Bernhofer company was awarded the ring of honor by the municipality of Höhnhart. The activities in the Goldhaube Group and various trips were also an important part of her private life. “Even though my mother stayed alone after my father’s death, that didn’t stop her. She traveled with friends – to America and Israel. Nothing was too far for her,” says son Ferdinand.
But the early loss of two of her four children also hit Berta Bernhofer hard. Today her sons Ferdinand and Klaus as well as numerous grandchildren and four great-grandchildren mourn the loss of Berta Bernhofer, who passed away peacefully on February 19 at the age of 96 in the presence of her loved ones.
Source: Nachrichten
