Söder called Aiwanger's death a tragedy. “He was bursting with strength, was never sick, and he didn’t like doctors anyway,” he said. That's why his death is unreal. He found out about Aiwanger's death via a text message from a journalist and initially thought it was a rumor. Then he wrote to Aiwanger: Is everything OK with you? This message was no longer delivered.
Söder praised Aiwanger as “direct but fair, smart but not sneaky”. He was argumentative and conciliatory. “If you had an argument, it wasn’t forever,” said Söder. And he had a lot of humor. Aiwanger has mastered the art of free speech like no other. “Sometimes rude, often funny and clever.”
He described his relationship with his deputy as “always fair, always reliable, for the benefit of Bavaria.”
Aiwanger is now safely in heaven, said Söder, however one imagines it. He may be sitting on a perch in his hunting ground and has already founded a Free Voters local group in heaven
In addition to Aiwanger's family and many citizens, prominent guests from all over Bavaria came to Munich for the funeral service. Almost the entire Bavarian cabinet and other top politicians were present, including the leaders of the Free Voters and Franz Duke of Bavaria.
A state ceremony rarely takes place in Bavaria and only for special personalities. Most recently, the former state parliament presidents Barbara Stamm and Alois Glück (both CSU) were honored with a state ceremony for their life's achievements.
Munich's Archbishop Cardinal Reinhard Marx had previously celebrated a pontifical requiem in the Cathedral of Our Lady. The coffin was laid out in the church, covered with a Bavarian flag. The death of Hubert Aiwanger came as a shock, said Marx, across party lines and ideological attitudes. “To be torn from an active life so suddenly affects us,” he said.
In his homily, the cardinal emphasized the uniqueness of human life. “You can’t repeat your earthly life, you have to fill it,” he said. What matters is what you do in life, not how long it takes. Even if Aiwanger's life seems unfinished since he was only 55 years old. Marx called it a great life, “one that wanted a lot, achieved a lot, and sometimes failed.”
Aiwanger's life was characterized by passion and a big heart, said Marx. Aiwanger was a “real Bavarian man,” combative, but also with a good-natured side. The cardinal quoted Frank Sinatra: “I did it my way,” he had to remember that because Aiwanger was unique in his kind. He carried many people along, caused offense and suffered injuries himself.
Marx said he was annoyed when politicians were sometimes spoken of in a derogatory manner. “It is a high calling, a high calling, to stand up for the common good, even if we have different opinions about the path.” It is important that there are people who are passionate about the community. “He still wanted to achieve a lot,” Marx said of Aiwanger.
The Requiem was musically performed by the vocal ensemble of the Munich Cathedral Music, the cathedral orchestra and the soprano Katja Stuber under the direction of cathedral music director Lucia Hilz. Excerpts from the Requiem in D minor by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Johann Sebastian Bach's St. Matthew Passion were heard. Cathedral cantor Benedikt Celler played the organ.
