Anni, 89 years old: This is how the hermit lives on her farm in Bavaria!

Anni, 89 years old: This is how the hermit lives on her farm in Bavaria!

What's going on in Innernzell? The remarkable Anni Sigl lives here, who at the age of 89 leads a life that is reminiscent of the past. She spends her days on a small hermit farm just as her parents did a century ago. Anni, who bought a long-sleeved polo shirt 25 years ago and wears a self-sewn apron, has created a modest but fulfilling life for herself.

With a monthly pension of just 490 euros, Anni is adept at managing her everyday life. She lives in a room of around 20 square meters that serves as a kitchen, living room and bedroom. Their toilet is an outhouse in the garden and there is no heating or running water. Nevertheless, Anni has learned to deal with the circumstances by heating her stove with wood and finding temperatures of 16 to 17 degrees pleasant. She gets her water from a spring that she feeds from a stone trough - an inheritance from her late husband Alois, whose great-grandfather once drilled the spring.

Rich tradition in harmony with nature

“There’s always something to do here!” is how Anni says about her life in solitude. With a cat named “Maukl,” which she lovingly describes as a “wild devil,” she enjoys the peace and freedom that this lifestyle offers her. Anni tends her garden, where she grows vegetables and fruit. Occasionally she needs help with shopping, but often she drove the tractor to the grocery store herself. In the summer months she processes the harvested fruit and vegetables, cooks jam and freezes cucumbers, even though she sometimes has difficulty doing so due to her missing teeth.

Persistent loneliness poses a challenge for many older people. According to the Berlin Institute, loneliness is a widespread disease that often reduces the quality of life of older people. Those aged 75 and over are particularly affected, highlighting the need to combat social isolation. Demographic developments show that the number of older people will increase in the future, and the infrastructure in rural areas will decline. Municipalities are required to create social meeting places and promote participation in order to counteract loneliness, as described in a discussion paper from the Berlin Institute.

Lonely times and new acquaintances

Anni maintains her contacts and reading routine by reading the newspaper every day and getting involved in the regional community. She has made a name for herself and is respected as a breeder of new apple varieties, which brings her many visits. Once the Bayerischer Rundfunk made a report about her and her partner Alois, which gave her a kind of fame, which she wears with modesty. Her personal story reflects the hard life she has led since childhood, when as a toddler she had to help feed chickens and walk six kilometers to school, often through deep snow. Anni criticizes the fact that today's society has to achieve less and often shows a smile, despite her health limitations.

In a country where loneliness is a constant companion for many aging people, Anni lives with the perfection of self-sufficiency. Her example shows how, with a positive spirit and a commitment to nature, one can lead both a fulfilling and self-determined life, while at the same time being able to face the challenges that age brings.

In Innernzell it becomes clear that a simple life can be rich and exciting - an inspiring lesson in gratitude and perseverance. The stories and traditions that Anni preserves are important not only for herself, but also for the community that she enriches with her way of life.