History

The Collegium Oecumenicum has a history of more than 25 years. Prof. Dr. Leonhard Goppelt († 1973) had the idea to start an ecumenical dormitory for students from partner churches. This was at the time when the Department for Protestant theology at the Munich university had just been started in 1968.

Rev Dr h.c. Hans Roser († 2005) founded the collegium oecumenicum in 1986. He was president of the the Bavarian Martin-Luther-Association. His prudence and energy made it possible to bring Goppelt’s vision to life. The Evangelical-Lutheran Church in Bavaria supported the house from the beginning by providing funding and staff.

The cooperation with the Department for Protestant Theology at the Munich university and with church scholarship agencies is instrumental for the work of the Collegium Oecumenicum 

 

Life in the Collegium Oecumenicum has been highly influenced by the directors – nearly all with ecumenical experiences from the partner churches. The former director of MissionEineWelt (Neuendettelsau), Rev Peter Weigand, directed the collegium during the start-up years 1986-1992. His successor, Rev Jürgen Reichel, directed the collegium from 1993-1999 is since 2012 General Secretary of Evangelical Mission in Solidarity (Stuttgart). 

Rev Norbert Ellinger was director from 1999 to 2003 and runs since 2015 the church’s crisis helpline. Dr. Christoph Jahnel headed the Collegium Oecumenicum 2003-2006 and is since 2013 Dean in Munich-West. Rev Janning Hoenen led the collegium 2009-2014 and is since then campus pastor at the Augustana-Hochschule (Neuendettelsau).

Rev Roger Schmidt has started as director in 2014.