Friedensau Adventist University

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Friedensau Adventist University (in German "Theologische Hochschule Friedensau") is an institution run and operated by the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Germany, a protestant free church. Its courses of study and degrees are state recognized. Throughout the hundred-year history of this institution, men and women educated here have shouldered their responsibility for humanity through mission work and pioneering development cooperation in many countries of the world. Even today, Friedensau has the goal of enabling individuals to assume responsibilities in the church, society and their country

[edit] History

In the fall of 1899, the Seventh-day Adventist Church founded its first school in Middle Europe, and for this purpose it bought a centuries-old mill with the farm, meadows and fields that belonged to it. On the November 19, 1899, lessons began for the first seven pupils under very simple conditions.

Within the next ten years, a collection of large school buildings and living quarters emerged on the campus that still mark the appearance of Friedensau today. Based on a holistic pedagogic concept, a sanatorium, workshops and a health-food factory were added, providing opportunities for both practical work experience and income for the pupils at the same time. In this way, Friedensau grew quickly to become a Missions and Industrial School which was visited by up to 250 pupils each year before the First World War.

In the First World War, the War Department set up a military hospital in the buildings. It was 1919 before the training could be resumed again. In the following years, new courses were offered (home economics, preparation for Nurse's Training, 10th grade secondary education, business and child care). In 1923, the school was renamed as "Mission Seminar Friedensau". The Seminar was awarded state approval for the courses in home economics and business in 1930 from the chief administrator of the government for the region of Magdeburg.

The Nazi-era brought many restrictions, and finally the school was again closed during the Second World War. Once more, the buildings served for the care of wounded and sick soldiers, first for the German Wehrmacht and then for the Soviet Army.

Through the recommendations of the minister-president of Saxony-Anhalt, Erhard Huebener, the Soviet military administration permitted the Seminar to reopen in 1947. This made Friedensau the first church-run educational institute in the Soviet occupation zone that was allowed to take up educational activity again. During the DDR-regime, the socialist government only allowed the training of church employees. Besides the training of ministers, there were one-year social welfare work training programs. The quality of the training led to another name change from "Ministerial Seminary" to "Theological Seminary Friedensau". Two years later, the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists accredited the Seminary as a senior college. At this time it was again possible to train students from other socialist states in Eastern Europe and Africa in Friedensau to become pastors.

On September 15, 1990, the Theological Seminary received the status of a state-recognized university by a resolution of the DDR Council of Ministers. Since then, in addition to the Theological Faculty which has been offering a Diplom in Theology since 1992, a Christian Social Science Faculty has been established. Presently, besides the Diplom courses in Theology and Christian Social Work, a Magister course with the major subjects of Biblical-Systematic Theology, Social Science and International Development Cooperation can also be taken as well as a course in preparation for musical studies. Further degrees, for example in Music Therapy, are in preparation. At the time there are about 200 full-time students registered in both faculties.