97-year-old grew up with Heidelberg presses
On the opening day of drupa, Maria Manns (nee Stapperfenne)
paid a visit to the Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg)
booth, and Bernhard Schreier, CEO of Heidelberg, was on hand to
welcome drupa's most senior visitor. Maria Manns was born in
September 1910 in Düsseldorf (Germany) and was sent to work in
the print shop run by her father, Hermann Stapperfenne, at the age
of five. The company mostly produced account books for wholesale
companies on a Tiegel press from Heidelberg - which at that time
was not electrically powered. Over the years, the print shop
invested in a four-color press from Heidelberg and, in 1945, Maria
Manns took over her father's business, which she continued to
run until 1968.
The sprightly lady held her own in technical conversations
with fellow printers at drupa and was astounded at the
technological progress that has been achieved. In the words of Mrs.
Manns: "When I think of all the changes there have been over
the years, words fail me". She visited the first ever drupa in
1951 and hopes to attend the next drupa in 2012.
Image:
At 97 years old, Maria Manns (center) is the oldest person to
attend drupa, where she was met by Bernhard Schreier, CEO of
Heidelberg, and Adriana Nuneva, Senior Vice President Global
Marketing.
For further information, please contact:
Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
Corporate Communications
Hilde Weisser
Tel.: +49 (0)6221 92 50 66
Fax: +49 (0)6221 92 50 69
E-mail:
hilde.weisser@heidelberg.com