Paul Oestreicher facts for kids
Paul Oestreicher OBE (born 29 September 1931) is an Anglican priest, a Quaker, and a strong supporter of peace and human rights. He has spent his life working to make the world a better place.
Contents
Life and Work
Early Life and Education
Paul Oestreicher was born in Germany. In 1938, when he was a young boy, his family had to leave their home. They left because his father had Jewish family roots. They found a safe place in New Zealand in 1939, where Paul grew up.
He studied Political Science and German Literature at universities in New Zealand. He wrote a special paper about people who refused to fight in World War II. Later, he moved to Germany to study Christianity and Marxism. From 1956 to 1958, he trained to become an Anglican priest. He married Lore Feind, a physiotherapist, and they had four children.
Becoming a Priest and BBC Work
In 1958, Paul worked as a guest pastor in Germany. He was invited by a famous church leader, Martin Niemöller. In 1959, he became a deacon in London, and a priest a year later. He worked in a church in east London.
From 1961 to 1964, he worked for the BBC. He produced religious radio programs. He even won an award for one of his shows.
Working for Peace and Human Rights
Paul Oestreicher worked to improve relations between countries in the East and West. This was during the Cold War. He visited East Germany 77 times before the Berlin Wall came down. He wanted to help people and churches there. He was part of the Christian Peace Conference. He spoke out against Soviet policies, which led to him being removed from their leadership in 1968.
He was also a member of the main church council in the Church of England for many years.
Supporting Women in the Church
From 1968 to 1981, Paul was the priest at a church in Blackheath. He was a strong supporter of women becoming priests. He appointed a woman, Elsie Baker, to lead pastoral work. This was long before women were officially allowed to be ordained as priests. He was a founding member of the Movement for the Ordination of Women.
Helping Prisoners and Fighting Torture
In 1974, Paul was asked to help end a long hunger strike by prisoners in West Germany. He tried to help both the government and the prisoners find a solution.
He also helped set up the Medical Foundation for Care of Victims of Torture in 1979. This group helps people who have been tortured. In 1995, he became the President of Action by Christians Against Torture.
Fighting Apartheid and Promoting Reconciliation
From 1981 to 1985, Paul worked for the British Council of Churches. He was very active in the Anti-Apartheid Movement. This movement worked to end the unfair system of racial segregation in South Africa. He worked with Desmond Tutu to help bring peace between different groups in South Africa.
During this time, he also became a member of the Society of Friends, also known as Quakers. He helped raise money in the UK to rebuild the Dresden Frauenkirche church in Germany. This church was destroyed during World War II.
Work at Coventry Cathedral
From 1985 to 1997, Paul Oestreicher worked at Coventry Cathedral in the UK. He was the Director of the International Centre for Reconciliation. This center works to bring people together and heal old wounds. He continued this important work even after he retired.
In 1993, he spent a year studying how churches and governments worked together in East Germany.
Later Life and Continued Activism
After retiring in 1998, Paul continued to advise Coventry Cathedral. His first wife, Lore, passed away in 2000.
He then moved to Brighton and married his second wife, Barbara Einhorn, in 2002. She is a professor who studies gender. They both taught at the University of Otago in New Zealand. They are also founding members of Jews for Justice for Palestinians.
From 2004 to 2009, Paul was a Quaker chaplain at the University of Sussex.
In 2011, he gave an important speech about ending war at a big peace meeting in Jamaica.
Paul Oestreicher has always been a pacifist, meaning he believes in peace and is against war. He helped start the Anglican Pacifist Fellowship in New Zealand. He is also a Vice-President of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. He joined Amnesty International when it started in 1961 and was its UK Chair from 1975 to 1979.
In 2020, Paul and his wife moved back to New Zealand. They live in Wellington.
In 2022, Paul Oestreicher was given the Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) award. This was for his many years of service to peace, human rights, and helping people come together.
Awards
- Federal Service Cross first class (1995)
- Honorary Citizen, Meiningen, Germany (1995)
- Wartburg Prize for the Promotion of European Unity (1997)
- Award of Merit, Coventry, UK (2002)
- Order of Merit of the Free State of Saxony, Germany (2004)
Doctorates
- DD Lambeth UK (2008)
- DLitt Coventry Polytechnic (1991) (honorary)
- LLD University of Sussex UK (2005) (honorary)
- DD University of Otago New Zealand (2009) (honorary)
See also
- List of peace activists
