Bernd of Hermitage
At around 3am in the morning of Thursday, 11th May, 2023, Aurovilian Bernd Theilmann passed away at his home in Hermitage at the age of 74.
Green Worker and Steward
Having gone through years of dialysis and further physical challenges, the last half year of his life had been difficult and taxing for him.
Before coming to Auroville, Bernd and his partner Agnes, both from Germany, stayed in Delhi from 1983 till ’89 with Bernd working as technician at the Max Mueller Bhavan there. After this, the couple came directly to Auroville where Bernd assumed stewardship of the place they called ‘Hermitage’, the development of which has been the love of his life ever since. In 1992 Bernd officially became Aurovilian. Aided by his strong-willed and good-natured personality, all his energies went into the planting of lakhs of trees in his endeavour to transform the place into a paradise which, indeed, gradually grew up around them.
We warmly salute and thank a dedicated green worker who added so much to Auroville’s natural wealth, and our warmest condolences and love go out to Agnes and other members of the Hermitage community.
OM~
