In a day and age where we have become a somewhat disposable society, it is humbling as a brand to encounter a genuine, real life experience with a Liebherr appliance that truly encapsulates the essence of Liebherr – quality, confidence and trust. Recently Liebherr were contacted by Birgit and Vincent King who are the very proud owners of a 45 year old Liebherr freezer. At almost half a century old it is still ticking… or should we say still ‘chilling’! They felt compelled to reach out to Liebherr after their search for a new fridge (to replace their old fridge which was not a Liebherr), highlighted the “quality gem [they] have in their Liebherr freezer”.
It would be fair to say this Liebherr freezer could be considered a family heirloom, passed down from generation to generation. Purchased originally in Germany by Birgit’s grandparents Paul and Olga Graumenz, it was gifted to her parents Siegfried and Brunhilde Schmandtke, before taking up residency with Birgit and Vincent for the last eight years.
During its lengthy life the freezer has travelled from Germany to Australia, and moved multiple times in both Victoria and Queensland – with a total of 9 household locations! This is one well-travelled freezer.
Not only is the freezer a seasoned traveller, it is also a fully-fledged expert volunteer appliance assistant, providing bread for those in need within the community. Of course in this instance the freezer is but an interim home until the donated bread is needed – and truly just a volunteer by default.
The true local heroes are Birgit, her husband Vincent and her parents Siegfried and Brunhilde in association with the Croydon Hills Baptist Church, who volunteer their time distributing bread twice a month to families in need, including the elderly and a group of cleaning staff (mainly Burmese) who work in factories in the area where Birgit’s brother works. Bakers Delight Ringwood manager Liz Angrove kindly provides the left over bread needed for this wonderful cause.
This is not a recent venture for the family by any means. For more than 20 years volunteer work has been a part of their lives. Originally Vincent’s parents started distributing left over bread from the same store in association with the Salvation Army, with assistance from Birgit and Vincent. About 12 years ago Birgit and Vincent ventured out on their own and now manage their own twice monthly bread distribution (with her parents assistance), and this is when the reliable Liebherr freezer became the perfect vessel for storing the bread once it came into their possession.
Like all of us, as we age we sometimes need a little extra TLC.
Over recent years the freezer has undergone some DIY home repairs such as;
– A hand painted facelift (we all like to look our best right?)
– A new handle (the original plastic handle disintegrated from wear and tear)
– A new seal about ten years ago (an installed hook since then helps to keep the door sealed)
– The addition of some self-expanding gap filler to repair damage to insulation suspected to be caused by bugs while it resided in Queensland (after noticing two bottom drawers weren’t freezing)
Of course being an old school freezer, it was invented before the days of automatic defrosting, so the almost defunct freezer chisel still gets a work-out with this manual defrost appliance, approximately every six months. Switched off to defrost, and switched back on once complete, Birgit said it has never failed and would like to thank “Liebherr and all the staff for making such a quality product that we have had the pleasure of owning over the last two generations”.
And we want to thank you Birgit and Vincent for sharing your story, along with the community service you perform. Liebherr are grateful to be able to be a part of your families’ journey!
