Even as a youngster, Marcel Lossie always supported "his" Arminia loudly. "Nobody conquers the Teutoburg Forest", sang his friends at every home game of the football club from Bielefeld, and Marcel drummed on an old sauerkraut barrel that was as blue as the colours of his club. If you meet the now 40-year-old man today, you would think that Lossie himself is conquering the Teutoburg Forest. On foot. Because whenever time permits, he is drawn out into nature. Then he puts on his hiking boots and walks along the Hermannsweg trail. "I'm out here at least once a week," he says, opening the garden gate - and off he goes. DeinNRW hiked a bit together with the "Bielefeld old town kid" and accompanied him to some important stages of his life.
We want to know what's so nice about Bielefeld from the busy entrepreneur, who immediately goes into raptures. "I grew up here," he says. "I'm at home here, I have everything I need, the Teutoburg Forest is on my doorstep and everything is within easy reach." The passionate East Westphalian can think of so many more things. His fond childhood memories. His first football, which he used to smash the window of the neighbouring delicatessen. The old sauerkraut barrel from his grandfather's health food shop. Olderdissen Zoo, where he often goes with his children today. The Hermann monument, the Externsteine. Yes, Marcel Lossie would even claim to be perfectly happy here. In a region that is "often underestimated and yet so green".
Having grown up between his grandparents' health food shop, the Sparrenburg castle and the Leineweber monument, Marcel Lossie later lived in Lipper Land for a few years, right on the city limits of Bielefeld. "That was just fine," he says. However, moving further away from his hometown would be out of the question for the great-great-nephew of sculptor Erich Lossie. Because the man is a local patriot. And he stands by it. What's more, he shows it. The East Westphalian has had all of the city's landmarks and even his old primary school tattooed on his left leg as an expression of his very special attachment to his homeland. "My Bielefeld leg, that is."
Incidentally, Marcel Lossie himself should not be underestimated. Because when the humorous man with a penchant for jumpers sets his mind to something, he puts it into practice. No matter how long it takes or what it is. That's how he discovered his passion for hiking a good cause a good four years ago. A birthday serenade for a friend's wife soon turned into the 40-strong shanty choir Shantallica, which now performs in front of large audiences. And at some point, the idea of creating his own gin ("my favourite spirit") was born.
His grandfather, whom he often helped in the health food shop as a boy, is ultimately to blame for this "schnapps idea". Together with his grandfather, he delivered goods "to old people who were no longer so good on their feet". The grandson also packed herbs and spices and filled the large blue barrel with sauerkraut, which was of course flavoured with juniper berries - the basic ingredient for gin.
"Classic juniper is the clear vegetable stock, so to speak, and gin is a full-bodied stew."
Vegetable broth and stew
Lossie has been distilling his own creations in old copper stills for two years now, "which I've fallen in love with". The two stills and the old wooden tins with liquorice, cinnamon and aniseed almost look like museum pieces in the modern distillery, where a slight smell of alcohol wafts through the air. But for Marcel Lossie, a little nostalgia is just part of it. And, as I said, a very special attachment to his homeland. That's why there was of course a special edition to mark the 111th anniversary of "his" Arminia and the Sparrenburg castle made of felt as special packaging. Finally, the trademark on the earthenware bottles is the swallow ("as a symbol of freedom") and the slogan from the stadium back then:
"Nobody conquers the Teutoburg Forest."
But what is the difference between gin and juniper schnapps, which has a 300-year-old tradition in and around Bielefeld? "Classic juniper," explains the expert, "is the clear vegetable stock, so to speak, while gin is a full-bodied stew." In other words, up to 25 different botanicals - from ginger root, rose petals and bitter orange to cranberries and passion fruit - can be found in the innovative gin liqueurs from Lossie.
Back then, the father of the family developed the liqueurs especially for his wife and thus serves "a niche within a niche". And that's all Lossie wants. "They are a speciality, and that's what they should remain." Why special? Lossie, who always seems so relaxed and empathetic despite his hustle and bustle, has to laugh. "Let me put it this way: the liqueurs taste like 20%, have 40% and seem like 60% ..."
His favourite is the blueberry gin liqueur. "It's a real fruit explosion in the mouth," explains the 40-year-old. Unfortunately, when he visits DeinNRW in Bielefeld, blueberry is sold out and supplies have not yet been distilled. But the down-to-earth businessman, who actually earns his money as an event manager, takes it in his stride. "We're under no pressure," he says. "Because first and foremost, I do this for fun and pleasure."
"Let me put it this way: the liqueurs taste like 20 %, have 40 % and look like 60 % ..."
In fact, Marcel Lossie radiates a tremendous joie de vivre and lightness in everything he does, which is quickly transferred to his visitors on the tour. In his old Defender with two canisters of "Gin" and "Tonic" on the back and an unmistakable commitment to Bielefeld, Gin Lossie and 44 per cent alcohol content of dry gin, the 40-year-old cruises through the narrow streets of Bielefeld's old town, which hardly anyone knows as well as he does. His destination is the office of the "Fruchtalarm" initiative, which has been supporting children with cancer for several years. Lossie is passionate about promoting the project, which started out very small and quickly developed into a real success story. Today, the Fruchties roll up with their cocktail bar once a week on 20 paediatric cancer wards across Germany. "The children can then mix their own cocktail according to their own wishes," says the initiator, explaining the idea behind the initiative. "This also stimulates all the senses in children whose sense of smell and taste has changed as a result of chemotherapy."
"Team Fallobst" hikes for a good cause
You can tell that "Fruchtalarm" is particularly close to Marcel Lossie's heart. To raise money for the project, he also takes part in the Hermannslauf once a year. "Ever since we founded Team Fallobst almost four years ago, hiking has been my passion." Team Fallobst? That's right. "In the beginning, we were eight men - all not quite so young and not quite so sporty ...", Marcel Lossie explains, adding self-deprecatingly: "We weighed a tonne in total back then." But the Bielefeld team believed in their fallen fruit mates. For every man and kilometre completed, at least one euro is donated to the "Fruchtalarm" by supporters whose names are listed on the hiking jersey. More than 80,000 euros have already been raised for the good cause, and 50 calves are now making the 31.1-kilometre journey from the Hermannsdenkmal monument in Detmold to Sparrenburg Castle in Bielefeld for "Team Fallobst". For Marcel Lossie, the route is no longer too much of an effort. However, the fact that his son finished ahead of him this year annoys the passionate hiker a little. "I just have to keep practising," he says, opening the garden gate and disappearing into his beloved Teutoburg Forest.
On the road in the Teutoburg ForestThree questions for Marcel Lossie
Marcel, you have 48 hours of free time. What would you definitely do with this time in NRW?
Marcel Lossie: "I would take the family on a great trip to the Teutoburg Forest. After a short hike, I would definitely go to the Olderdissen Zoo. There are lots of native animals to watch here, and they even have two bears there. Over a nice dinner together, the children could then decide what to do the next day..."
Which place in NRW did you recently rediscover for yourself?
Marcel Lossie: "There are so many great places in the region. On a hike alone, I'm always discovering new great places that are constantly changing. The forest is so diverse and exciting, and it looks different a week later. I've been to Sparrenburg Castle or the Hermannsdenkmal monument many times and yet I collect new impressions every time."
Your personal favourite place in NRW?
Marcel Lossie: "My absolute favourite place? No question, my favourite place to be when the weather is good is in the garden here at my home in Bielefeld."
