Dietrich Bonhoeffer studied theology in Tübingen and Berlin. Already at the age of 25, he had been granted the right to teach at the university level, passed his second theological exam, and was ordained as a pastor – but was too young to receive a position as a pastor. He completed his training as a pastor in 1928 in a German-speaking congregation in Barcelona.

From the beginning, the combination of theological brilliance and active engagement characterized Bonhoeffer’s professional career. As a youth and student pastor in Berlin, he supervised a confirmation group from a poor area in Berlin, organizing weekend trips with them to his family vacation house. Likewise, Bonhoeffer’s stays abroad in Rome, Barcelona, and New York inspired in him a strong dedication to unity and peace. He forged many international contacts while he was a youth secretary for the World Alliance for International Friendship Through the Churches.

Picture: Gütersloher Verlagshaus