News & Press

FRANK MAUERSBERGER HAS DIED

Frank Mauersberger, Honorary President of the BDWS - the Federal Association of German Security Firms - and Honorary Chairman of the BDGW - the Federal Association for German Money and Valuable Services - has died in Osnabrück on 6 June at the age of 82.

Frank Mauersberger made a contribution as no other to shaping the development of the security industry after the Second World War.

From 1970 - 1982, he was Vice President of the BDWS in Bad Homburg. After the death of his predecessor, Otto Mertens, in Munich, he was President of the BDWS from 1982 - 1995. At the annual general meeting in Saarbrücken in May 1995, he was appointed Honorary President of the BDWS on account of his services. For almost 25 years, Frank Mauersberger was first Chairman of the Lower Saxony district group of the BDWS, whose main function is the conclusion of collective wage agreements for the state of Lower Saxony.

Between 1982 and 1995, he was first Chairman of the BDGW, the Federal Association for German Money and Valuable Services. He was also appointed Honorary President of this association in 1995, on account of his services.

Frank Mauersberger was one of the first people to recognise the need to promote the interests of the security industry not only on a German level, but also on an international level. With colleagues from Italy, France, Great Britain, Netherlands and Spain, he established the European umbrella association for the security industry - the Confederation of European Security Services (CoESS) - in 1989 in Rome. From 1990 - 1991 he was Vice President, and in 1991 and 1992 President, of this association. As a "founding father" of the CoESS, he was appointed Honorary President at the 1995 annual conference in Dublin.

Born in Trier, the son of a policeman, Frank Mauersberger began his entrepreneurial career in 1946 in his parents' business in Osnabrück. He had previously studied at art college for two semesters, with the aim of becoming an "artist, architect, art teacher or at least a stage designer" (Mauersberger). Even though this preferred choice of career was not fulfilled, his attendance at art college shaped his subsequent life: this is where he met his wife Irene, to whom he was married for 59 years.

After the death of his father, Paul Mauersberger, in 1963, Frank Mauersberger took over sole management of the former "WSO Wach- und Schließgesellschaft Osnabrück". After the "turnaround", Mauersberger was one of the first entrepreneurs to participate in the establishment of two security companies in Greifswald and Halberstadt.

He represented the interests of the security industry, the money and valuables sector in many further associations and committees, some of them for decades, and two associations in particular:

From the outset, he was on the Advisory Committee for the SECURITY trade show in Essen.

For many years he was a member of the board of the Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (AWM).

He also represented the industry's interests in the VdS certification advisory committee and in the Working Group for Business Security (ASW).

After his active time in BDWS and BDGW, he then became President of the Federal Association of Service Companies (BDD) established in Osnabrück in 1998. After his retirement in 2002, Frank Mauersberger was also appointed Honorary President of this association. He was also Chairman of the German Alpine Association, Osnabrück section, for almost 40 years.

On account of his many services for the common good, he was awarded the Cross of Merit on ribbon of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (Federal Merit Cross) by the Federal President in 1991.

Frank Mauersberger devoted himself tirelessly, constructively, successfully and selflessly to the interests of the security industry and the entire service sector. For decades, Frank Mauerberger, with his typical bow tie and habitually filled pipe, was the acknowledged and valued representative of BDWS and BDGW. With his sympathetic manner and easy communication skills, he was able to bring about a reconciliation of interests among the members.

Grateful for his outstanding efforts and contributions to CoESS at its early beginnings and crucial starting years, the CoESS President, the Board of Directors and the General Secretary express their deepest sympathies to his wife Irene and his four children.