At the New Art Museum in Tübingen he was a guest in the talk series “Gysi Encounters” with Gregor Gysi (Linke). Of his suicide attempt “He doesn’t even want to think,” said Grupp. He then handed in his hunting license and now has new priorities.

Wolfgang Grupp: “I hardly attended any lectures”

Revealed in a humorous conversation Grouphow much he celebrated life as a law student in Cologne. “I enjoyed life. I hardly attended any lectures,” said Grupp, earning a lot of laughter from the audience. Away from the strict parental home in Burladingen ( Zollernalbkreis ) and in a big city. His father was generous and gave him a three-room apartment – including his own riding horse and a sports car.

“I suffered terribly from it”

However, it wasn’t always so carefree, said Grupp. “So my time at boarding school in St. Blasien with the Jesuits was my worst time. I was homesick. I loved my home and we weren’t allowed to go home on weekends. We had holidays three times a year.” He had family visits twice a year. “I suffered terribly from it,” said Grupp.

He learned a lot about life at boarding school. “I had to assert myself in order not to drown. I had to adapt in order to have friends. I had to be tidy in order not to have to live in disorder. So I automatically picked up a lot for my later life there because I was responsible for myself at the age of eleven,” said Grupp.

The 78-year-old left-wing veteran has been meeting prominent contemporary witnesses of public life at the New Art Museum since the summer. Further talks are planned with Father Anselm Grün (April 8) and long-time CSU politician Peter Gauweiler (June 29).

Grupp gave businesses to children

Grupp (83) had some time ago handed over the business to his two children for tax reasons, said Grupp in Tübingen. Wolfgang Grupp Junior (34) and his sister Bonita (36), who became a mother at the end of last year, run the family business together. She heads the areas of online trading, marketing and human resources. Wolfgang Grupp junior is responsible for business customers, IT projects, production and finances.

The former Trigema boss had made a suicide attempt public in the middle of last year. He thought about whether he was still needed. Trigema is a manufacturer of underwear, leisure and sportswear and advertises that it is 100 percent “Made in Germany”.