Seong-hwa Ceremony of Rev Fritz Piepenburg in Neumühle, Bad Camberg, Germany

T he sudden passing of our dear were very serious, even sad. Also – as brother Fritz Piepenburg had this is common custom in Germany at caused a big shock for the funerals – nobody clapped. This German and European movement. He changed with Rev.Jun Seuk An had been engaged in his mission till the presented the Calligraphy of True last moment. Mother to Hildegard (Fritz’ wife) and the children. He emphasized the joyful spirit of Seong-hwa and amazingly people gave a rousing applause for True His sons and daughters created a Mothers care and Love for Fritz. From wonderful atmosphere with classical that time on the messages of European music pieces from Bach and Mozart, FFWPU President Jack Corley and We learned that this ability and various German FFWPU President Dieter other activities within the Piepenburg Schmidt, as well as the performances family has created their wonderful afterwards got always a joyful applause. family spirit of love and strength, an It was an impressive ceremony, with example for other people, especially in 210 participants from Frankfurt (where their years as foreign missionaries in Fritz was Community leader), Germany Yemen and Peru. (where he was Vice President of FFWPU), Europe (where he was known for his work in UPF and Publications) and even from other continents. Additionally, around 20 members of his closest family in Bavaria (South- Germany) and from his wife’s relatives The spiritual atmosphere became deep, as well joined the Seonghwa but very calm, when we reflected celebration. during the sermon the life and the character of Fritz, described as “Solid

as a rock” and straight like “If I could live my life once again, I wouldn’t change anything” Finally we went back to Camberg for There were letters of condolence from lunch and coffee and a closing round of all over the world and from several We then moved to the village cemetery ambassadors for peace including an of Schlossborn (where the Piepenburgs testimonies, performances and a slideshow of Fritz’ life. Karl-Christian Islamic,Jewish and Christian are living), 20km away from Bad Representative. Camberg.i Hausmann (German UPF President) also inspired Otto (Fritz’ younger With our deepest love we sent our More than two dozens of local brother) to share some personal precious brother Fritz now to the acquaintance joined, and Fritz was memories, which he did and finally eternal spirit world and we so grateful buried in midst a sea of flowers. The concluded “I am very proud of my to True Parents we can do this through mortician was very impressed, saying brother” a Seong Hwa Ceremony. he didn’t see for a very long time such a huge and mixed group of mourners in Link to more pictures that place. Link to video

In Remembrance – Friedrich Otto Piepenburg With Love and foreign countries. In October 1974, Hildegard and Family just after he had started to study geology at the University of Freiburg, he was introduced to the Unification Church by Bohdan Faryma. Since he had already had a spiritual awakening with Christianity, he was very quickly able to grasp the message of the Divine Principle and its urgency and immediately gave up his studies in order to devote himself full-time to the student organization CARP (Collegiate Association for the Research of Principles) in Frankfurt.

To encourage peace and reconciliation between world religions, Rev. Moon sent missionaries from Japan, USA and

F riedrich Otto Piepenburg was Germany to 95 countries in 1975. One of born in Füssen in the Allgäu these courageous pioneers was Fritz, who (southern Germany) on undertook this task in Sanaa, the capital 25.04.1953, the first son of Friedrich of what was then North Yemen, where he and Ermelinde Piepenburg. His father would work for the next 21 years. Fritz, was from Pomerania and his mother the German, Yoshinori, the Japanese, from Swabia. He and his brother Otto and Mark, the American, plunged into had a happy childhood and youth and the Arabian world. This was an were closely connected to the experience which Fritz later loved to Protestant Church. describe as being like a fairy-tale from the ‘Thousand and One Nights’. From 1978 After the abitur (school leaving onwards, Fritz remained as the only certificate), he did his military service representative of the Unification with the navy in Flensburg and France, Movement in Yemen, being supported being drawn to the expanse of the sea time for time by Matthias Wiesner and

Wolfgang Schwaller. During these long years, he came to deeply love and value the fascinating country, the Islamic faith, the language and culture and most of all the people of Arabia - connections that lasted a lifetime. He was able to establish himself as a German and Arabic language teacher for developmental organizations such as DED and GTZ and for the German embassy, and with the Yemen edition of the Cyprus based Middle East Times, he Unification Church in close cooperation established the first English weekly with national leader Karl-Christian newspaper in North Yemen. During this Hausmann. Publications, conferences time he liked to write and earned a good and lobby work for religious freedom reputation for a travel guide which he during the campaign to lift the wrote about this exotic country on the tip Schengen ban on Rev. and Mrs. Moon - Fritz was matched to Hildegard Müller of the Arabian Peninsula. these were just some of the many tasks by Rev. Moon and they participated in that Fritz willingly tackled. the 6000 couple Blessing on 14 October 1982 in Korea. When Hildegard came to Yemen in 1985, she supported Fritz in his mission and a wonderful new time together as a family began. Their children Hanna, Johann and Achim were born in Yemen. With the outbreak of civil war between North and South Yemen, Hildegard returned to Germany with the three children, where their As a representative of the Unification fourth child, Lisa, was born. In 1996, Movement, he organized local Fritz handed over his mission in Yemen conferences for the Professors’ World to his Korean successor, and brought Peace Academy (PWPA) and his family to Lima, Peru the following accompanied representatives from year, responding to the call from True Yemen in the fields of media, politics and Parents for National Messiahs. religion to international conferences. Of special significance was the connection between the then 80 year old Grand Mufti of Yemen, Ahmad Muhammad Zabarah and Rev. Moon that developed Between 2005 and 2006, Fritz was when the Mufti attended the Assembly of given the responsibility of leadership of World Religions in San Francisco in the German Unification Church - a very 1990. In 1991, Mufti Zabarah and his wife intensive time during which he and brought a delegation of 40 chosen many German members contributed to Yemenites to a Divine Principle seminar Here they worked closely with the the success of Rev. Moon and his wife’s in New York and in 1992 in Seoul, they Korean family Hong, the Japanese speaking tours by their investment not and ten other couples from Yemen family Watanabe, and the British only in Germany, but also on a participated in the first marriage Blessing family Jones, to develop and European level. Together with his for members of other religions. Fritz implement programmes to support successors Dieter Schmidt, and Karl- brought a delegation of high ranking marriage and the family. This was an Christian Hausmann as president the women from Yemen to the founding exciting time filled with interesting Universal Peace Federation (UPF - event of the world wide Women’s activities and new impressions and founded in 2005), Fritz made essential Federation for World Peace (WFWP) with the help of Japanese missionaries contributions between 2006 and 2015 with Mrs. Hak Ja Han Moon in Cairo. and Peruvian members, large marriage to the development of the Unification Following this, he supported a group of Blessings took place. It was greatly Movement in Germany, in his functions Japanese women from WFWP in their enriching for the whole family to as UPF secretary general and vice social work in Yemen. discover the heart of South America, its president of the Family Federation. wealth of cultural treasures, and to learn a new language and mentality, And on top of this, he was pastor to the and despite the short time, this Frankfurt community, supported by experience left a lasting impression. Claus Dubisz, Margaret Staudinger and Monika Kunde. After their return to Germany in the summer of 1999, Fritz took over the leadership of the PR department of the

religious community and family, whether it was his participation in the He initiated many of the publications nativity plays in the local church or in from the KANDO publishing house performances with the local Catholic or over these 15 years, from Blickpunkt Protestant church choirs. Vereinigungskirche (Focus on the Unification Church), to the UPF His personal further education was conference series, the 40 years always important to him. So at the age Unification Church in Germany to Rev. of 50, he became an active member of Moon’s autobiography, As a Peace the sailing club of Hochheim, learned Loving Citizen. In the final week of his to sail and became himself an life, Fritz and his helpers set up a stand instructor. He completed training as at the Frankfurt book fair to introduce choir leader, and at the age of 60 began the World Scripture, a compilation of to take lessons in playing the organ. religious texts, as well as other One of his favourite hobbies was publications, to a wide public. reading. Besides the daily readings of Holy Scriptures, he was inspired by This is only a short summary that can books about sailing round the world, in no way do justice to Fritz history, different cultures and Piepenburg’s full and rich life. Whether outstanding people. And he valued it was the international trips in the In the last week of his life, he especially the teaching of Confucius course of his many duties, or participated in two demonstrations, and any tradition that encouraged organizational challenges, or the was at the stand in the Frankfurt book peaceful coexistence. He loved shouldering of unpleasant tasks - Fritz fair, wrote reports and prepared the traditional family celebrations like always made himself whole-heartedly garden for winter. The heart attack Christmas. He took it to heart, not only available; one could depend on him. struck him suddenly and unexpectedly to learn for himself, but to pass on what His good nature, readiness to help and in his prime. he learnt. reliability were expressed in his leadership style as well as in his private Mountaineering and sailing were also We, his family miss him very much. We life and he valued and respected each his passions and his love for nature and would have liked so much to have had person as a son or daughter of God, the simple life were especially many more wonderful days with him. He regardless of social position, world- expressed in the way he designed his was well balanced and in harmony with view or skin colour. own house and garden. There was himself, a deep ocean, our ‘solid rock’, a nothing that he did not try: he learned real example. His faith in God and True Fritz was a wonderful son, brother, Parents never wavered – he set the course how to be a handyman so that he could husband, father and son-in-law. He for us. We are proud of him, and wish do repairs in the home, and planted loved music and played piano, guitar him a blessed start in his spirit life. He is fruit and vegetables. He was and flute. His children inherited this breaking new grounds and leaves behind enthusiastic about salad from his own ability, and nothing pleased him more a great legacy for us all. garden or homemade fruit juices and than to play music with the family at jams. He loved looking for mushrooms We will remember him with deep home. We have to thank him for the or berries in the woods near his home, gratitude. many memorable musical and with his sons prepared wood to contributions to national level German burn in the winter. He was able to celebrations, as well as to local identify many birds in the woods by community events. And his musical their song. commitment went beyond his own

I remember personally meeting him for the first time in 2009 in Germany when True Father and True Mother victoriously landed in Europe after his victory with lifting the Schengen Treaty ban. I can still remember the big smile on True Parents’ face, as Rev. Piepenburg and other European leaders greeted them all at the airport with a feeling of overwhelming elation and joy. Most recently in Austria and in Germany during True Mother’s tour to celebrate 50 years of the European providence, I was able to meet Rev. Piepenburg again. In Germany, Rev. Piepenburg particularly impressed me with his humility and desire to take care of everyone. We had the precious opportunity to hear some personal testimonies from some representative elder brothers and sisters from Europe during lunch and I am so glad that Rev. Piepenburg was able to share his precious and historical personal story during that time. Rev. Piepenburg was a pillar of the worldwide Unification Movement. Throughout his entire life, he exemplified selfless dedication and steadfast altruism. Rev. Piepenburg’s achievements, from his 21 years in Yemen, where he enabled the Grand Mufti to meet True Parents, to his mission work in Peru, to his work for the European providence, in particular his energetic work to end the Schengen Treaty ban, shall be engraved in the hearts of members worldwide. True Mother’s calligraphy for Fritz Piepenburg I know deep in my heart that he will continue his stellar work “Congratulation to the representative of dedication for total in the spirit world in attendance to and side by side with True victory for the restoration of our homeland” Father.

3 year of Cheon Il Guk September 4 of the heavenly I also pray that the grace and blessings of the Heavenly calendar, October 17, 2015, 5:15 pm. Parent and True Parents be with the entire precious Piepenburg family. With deep love and sincere condolences, The Piepenburg Family Dearest Hildegard, Hannah, Johann, Achim and Lisa, Sun Jin Moon, I would like to convey my deepest words of sympathy and International President, FFWPU condolences on the ascension of our beloved elder brother, Rev. Fritz Piepenburg. Insup Park, In Sup remembers first meeting Rev. Piepenburg in Berlin in International Vice President, FFWPU 2006 during True Mother’s and the True Family’s world tour during that time.