Walter Wagner

Walter (Walter Wagner) was born in Stuttgart, Germany, on 7.12.1950. He was the only child of two individuals whose lives were scarred by the war. His childhood and youth were difficult and he wanted to throw away his life, but there was always a protecting hand over him, that he felt in his heart.

His chosen destiny was to work with plants. In 1970 he graduated as a landscape gardener, then studied in Munich, and in 1975 he became a qualified engineer of landscape architecture and environmental preservation. His passion for photography made Walter travel through Ireland, Northern Ireland, and America, doing landscape photography.

Landscape Professional

From 1981 to 1983 he ran a garden maintenance company in Stuttgart.

His thirst for light, for the sun, guided him to work as an assistant manager in Egypt from 1983 to 1985. There was a German on the farm who had lived in Auroville for some time. Walter became curious. In 1986 he came to stay in Auroville for several months, falling in love with the Matrimandir and the idea of a garden design based on the Mother's Symbol, and came back for good in 1987. He was welcomed at Matrimandir where he jumped full-heartedly into designing of the Matrimandir gardens and the park.

Dedicated Aurovilian

At the office where he was employed there was a photo of the Nebula (an earlier design by Roger Anger, which became the Galaxy later) attached to the cupboard. Walter was always feeling attracted to it, not knowing what it was. He had been introduced to Integral Yoga through his spiritual friend and guide Heinz Kappes (1893- 1988), a priest who emigrated to Jerusalem with his family in 1933 and stayed there for fourteen years, being a mediator between Arabs and Jews. In a second hand bookshop Heinz found Sri Aurobindo's The Life Divine. After retiring, he went to Pondicherry, in 1959, and lived in the Ashram for one and a half years.The Mother gave him the task to translate Sri Aurobindo's works into the German language, which he did then in Stuttgart. Heinz was Walter's closest soul friend who taught him a lot.

Over the years he loved his multiple tasks and was a deeply dedicated and hard worker.

In 2005 he got the chance to be part of an intense garden seminar in Kyoto, Japan. This experience left a deep impact on him. Walter had an intense inner life with lots of beautiful spiritual experiences.

Mahalakshmi, the Mother's aspect of Harmony and Beauty, became his inner aspiration. And remained ever since. Mahasaraswati was the other aspect to which he felt always drawn. His love for perfection. His favourite book from Sri Aurobindo was The Mother.

At the end of May 2023 he had an accident from which he recovered well, but not fully. On April 17th, in the early evening, the Mother took him into Her arms while he was walking.

I translate here his message which he sent me the same day, at 2.53 pm:

'Our dear friend Heinz has made it clear to me that I will never be able to give back what good deeds other people do or did to me. I can only say "thank you".'

(Submitted by Mechtild)