Josef “Sepp“ Wagner, former chief executive of Hanwag, passed away at the age of 96 on Jan. 26. Wagner joined the company in 1936 when it was controlled by his uncle, Hans Wagner, whose name was the inspiration for the name “Han-Wag.” After he returned to Vierkirchen from captivity in France in 1946, he assumed the management of the company in 1964. After the death in 2003 of one of his daughters, Annemarie, Wagner sold the company to the Swedish Fenix Outdoor group, which markets other brands like Fjällräven, Primus, Brunton and Tierra. For him, it was very important that the production should remain in Vierkirchen. From 2004, Sepp Wagner continued to be involved as a consultant, visiting the company and its employees on a regular basis before he withdrew into private life in 2015. The Wagner dynasty of shoemakers also created other footwear brands like Hochland, which eventually disappeared, and Lowa (“Lorenz Wagner”), which is now controlled by the Tecnica Group. Sepp Wagner was engaged in local politics and was president of the SC Vierkirchen sporting club, where he raised the number of members from 88 to 1,500, expanding its scope from one to ten different sports groups with a tennis court, football pitches and other sports facilities.

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