Prof. Dr. Ingo Baldermann Has Passed Away

The Department of Protestant Theology in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities at the University of Siegen mourns the loss of Prof. Dr. Ingo Baldermann, who passed away on August 27 at the age of 97. From 1965 until his retirement in 1994, he served as professor of “Protestant Theology and Its Didactics” at the University of Siegen, formerly known as the Gesamthochschule. He was one of the defining figures in the early years of our university and the field of Protestant Theology. Over the course of 30 years of research and teaching, he inspired and shaped generations of teacher-training students in the areas of religious education and theology. His numerous innovative contributions to “Biblical Didactics” had an immense impact throughout the German-speaking world. Even during his lifetime, Ingo Baldermann was rightly regarded as a classic figure in 20th-century Protestant religious education.

Ingo Baldermann was born in Berlin in 1929. His father was a middle school teacher. His childhood and early youth were marked by the war and the traumatic experiences of fleeing and the end of the war in a devastated Berlin. At the age of 15, Baldermann was still part of that last contingent of Hitler Youth who, loyal to the Führer, were sent as child soldiers—without any training and armed with Panzerfists—to face the American tanks. Baldermann repeatedly reflected self-critically on this “terrible delusion” of his youth and answered questions as a contemporary witness. Coming to terms with this biographical crisis shaped his theological, social, and peace policy work. Thus, he and his wife were staunch opponents of the Federal Republic of Germany’s rearmament and of integration into the Western bloc under Konrad Adenauer. As supporters of Gustav Heinemann and later as members of the SPD, they backed the policy of détente under Willy Brandt and were actively involved in the peace movement of the 1980s, extending their commitment to the ecumenical process for peace, justice, and the integrity of creation. Ingo Baldermann was deeply concerned about the existential crises facing humanity, which he made the starting point of his theological reflections.

After graduating from high school in Wolfenbüttel in 1947, he studied to become a teacher in Braunschweig (1948–51) and then pursued studies in Protestant theology (1951–55). In 1957, he passed his second theological examination and was ordained as a pastor in the Regional Church of Hanover; he subsequently worked at the Catechetical Office in Loccum. During this time, he wrote his dissertation on “The Basic Forms of Narrative in the Synoptic Gospels and Their Didactic Significance,” for which he received his doctorate from the University of Hamburg in 1962. From 1963 to 1965, he served as a lecturer at the University’s Institute of Education before accepting a position in 1965 at what was then the Siegerland College of Education, which, after several transformations, became the University of Siegen in 1972, in 1980 the University-Comprehensive College, and finally, in 2003, the University of Siegen.

Throughout his life, Baldermann’s research focused on “Biblical Didactics,” which he completely reimagined against the backdrop of the undeniable crisis in traditional Bible instruction in schools. He moved away early on from a didactic approach focused on the transmission of knowledge in favor of one that emphasizes independent activity and enables autonomous learning experiences. The Bible, he argued, is not the object of learning; rather, its language possesses its own didactic power that can lead to unique learning experiences. Baldermann’s confidence in the inner power and relevance of biblical texts was immense. These ancient texts, he maintained, are “astonishingly alive and strikingly accessible.” It was not rote knowledge, but rather an independent, vibrant, and wisely guided encounter with biblical texts that assured him that students would learn what is necessary for their faith and develop a sustainable hope. Hope is sustainable when, in the face of the world’s soul-destroying crises, it can point the way to hopeful action and to living within the horizon of that hope. He became particularly well-known for his approach to the biblical Psalms. Here, he sought to uncover, in individual words of the Psalms, forms of expression for joy—as well as for fear and pain—that would allow even elementary school children to find a language for their own emotional experiences. Baldermann’s relevant textbooks were published in large print runs, received widespread attention, were the subject of scholarly debate—including controversial discussions—and were repeatedly reprinted. Above all, they were practical. Time and again, Ingo Baldermann sought to engage with school practice and maintained a lively exchange with the teachers who had studied under him. Rather small and unassuming in stature, and reserved and quiet in demeanor, Ingo Baldermann was a university professor distinguished by a special charisma.

A special, often overlooked aspect of Baldermann’s work concerned religious education in the GDR, which established itself as catechetics under difficult political conditions within the church and outside of schools. In his view, German megalomania—in which he had once participated—had caused the division of Germany, for which the East Germans, above all, had to pay the price. After the Berlin Wall was built, he made frequent trips to the GDR and sought regular contact with catechists there by every means possible. Ingo Baldermann saw himself as a “border-crosser in divided Germany” and was a valued presence at numerous catechist training sessions and church conventions in the GDR. He remained so even after the fall of the Wall and German reunification.

Ingo Baldermann also had a broad impact outside the University of Siegen. He often preached at his home parish, the Martini Congregation in Siegen, and addressed biblical topics in parish seminars. For many years, he was a member of the editorial board of the *Jahrbuch für biblische Theologie* (Yearbook of Biblical Theology). In 1984, together with Siegen-based entrepreneur Klaus Hoppmann, he founded the Gustav Heinemann Peace Society (e.V.) in Siegen, of which he served as honorary chairman until his death. During the long years of his retirement, Ingo Baldermann remained as active as ever in research and teaching.

Anyone who lives to be nearly 100 years old experiences the reality of being increasingly forgotten—first by one’s own university, then by subsequent generations as well. Former colleagues have passed away, and one is left behind. A few years ago, his beloved wife passed away after a long, close partnership spanning over 60 years. In the final years of his life, Ingo Baldermann would often spend his evenings reading the biblical Book of Job, which he had retranslated from the Hebrew. In doing so, he experienced what Søren Kierkegaard had already attested to: finding unspeakable comfort in the words and lamentations of this biblical rebel and sufferer. For Ingo Baldermann, the Bible remained, until the very end, the book of his longing and his hope. 

The Department of Protestant Theology at the University of Siegen honors the memory of its late colleague Ingo Baldermann with great respect, in solidarity, and with deep gratitude.

On behalf of the Department of Protestant Theology

Prof. Dr. Thomas Naumann