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Augustana Toda Volume 18, No. 1 June 1990 Augustana College Sioux Falls, SD 57197 Moller gathered for a farewell conversation with some of his students following baccalaureate May 20. He left the next day for East Germany where his appointment as ambassador to the United States became official. From left: Mike Cwach, Stephanie Bender, Steve Grill, Moller, Brian Fedde and Julie Hennies. Moller answers nation's call East German professor named U.S. ambassador by Suzanne Hunstad Dr. Michael Moller's story is not typical of a visiting professor return-ing home. For his home is East Ger-many, and the last time he left the country, he believed he would never return. Since the historic opening of the Berlin Wall in November, not only has Moller been back to his homeland, he has been named East German ambassador to the United States, one of the highest diplomatic positions C7 Burlington Teaching Awards 2 • President's Message 3 ® Alumni Days Photos 5 ® Fellows Report 6 P Year of Reconciliation 8 D Alumni News 10.11 ® Sports 12.13 I Class Notes 14-20 FR Reunion Class Photos 14-20 .rikugustana College Word of Moller's appointment spread quickly across campus; faculty and students alike shared in his excitement. President Lloyd Svendsbye said, "Most of the founders of our country were very young people who had been fired by visions of freedom for their country. Dr. Moller craves that same kind of freedom for his coun-try. " At 33, Moller is the youngest am-bassador to the U.S. ever. He said his position will be tem-porary because there will be no need for two ambassadors when East and West Germanies unite. He expects to be in the East German embassy in Washington, D.C., for two years. "I'm not sorry it will be short-term because it is so important," Moller said. He hopes to use his position to inform people about East Germany and ease their fears about reunification with West Germany. In the initial negotiations following the revolution, the Social Demo-cratic Party (SPD) earned the right to control East Germany's foreign ministry, according to Moller. He has personal connections to Foreign Minister Markus Meckel through his membership in the SPD, and he has lived in the United States and is fluent in English. Those fac-tors contributed to his appointment, he said. Spring semester for Moller was hectic, to say the least. In addition to teaching here, he traveled to East Germany several times. He left Sioux Falls immediately after com-mencement to receive the official appointment and undergo training in Berlin. Moller moved into the embassy by mid-June, just1months after he thought his connections to his homeland had been severed forever. `Blackmailed' to Leave Moller left the country in March 1989 after struggling for over a year to gain permission from East Ger-man authorities to marry an American woman. AUGUSTANA TODAY Augustana College 29th & Summit Sioux Falls, SD 57197 ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED FORWARD AND RETURN POSTAGE GUARANTEED He had met Tina Petrov in 1986 while he was teaching at a seminary in Columbus, Ohio, and she had followed him to East Germany. Finally, they were allowed to marry on the condition that Moller would obtain a permanent exit visa. By approving his marriage to an American, authorities "black-mailed" him to leave the country. "I was not banned from the state, but I lost my right to reside there permanently," he said. Tina returned to Columbus im-mediately after the wedding in January 1989 and resumed her career as a high school Latin teacher. Michael followed three months later. He came to Augustana last September on a one-year appoint-ment in the religion/philosophy/ classics department. At the time, he had no reason to suspect his country would undergo such revolutionary changes during his year here. Continued on page 4 NONPROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO.5 SIOUX FALLS, SD
Object Description
Title | Augustana Today - 1990 June |
Subject (LC) | Augustana College (Sioux Falls, S.D.)--Periodicals |
Date | 1990-06 |
Coverage | v. 18, no. 1 |
Publishing Agency | Augustana College |
Rights | This image may not be reproduced without the express written consent of Augustana University, Sioux Fals, South Dakota, USA. |
Type | Magazine |
Medium | text |
Format-Digital | |
Language | English |
Collection | Augustana Alumni Publications |
Contributing Institution | Mikkelsen Library, Augustana University |
Description
Title | Page 1 |
Date | 1990-06 |
Text | Augustana Toda Volume 18, No. 1 June 1990 Augustana College Sioux Falls, SD 57197 Moller gathered for a farewell conversation with some of his students following baccalaureate May 20. He left the next day for East Germany where his appointment as ambassador to the United States became official. From left: Mike Cwach, Stephanie Bender, Steve Grill, Moller, Brian Fedde and Julie Hennies. Moller answers nation's call East German professor named U.S. ambassador by Suzanne Hunstad Dr. Michael Moller's story is not typical of a visiting professor return-ing home. For his home is East Ger-many, and the last time he left the country, he believed he would never return. Since the historic opening of the Berlin Wall in November, not only has Moller been back to his homeland, he has been named East German ambassador to the United States, one of the highest diplomatic positions C7 Burlington Teaching Awards 2 • President's Message 3 ® Alumni Days Photos 5 ® Fellows Report 6 P Year of Reconciliation 8 D Alumni News 10.11 ® Sports 12.13 I Class Notes 14-20 FR Reunion Class Photos 14-20 .rikugustana College Word of Moller's appointment spread quickly across campus; faculty and students alike shared in his excitement. President Lloyd Svendsbye said, "Most of the founders of our country were very young people who had been fired by visions of freedom for their country. Dr. Moller craves that same kind of freedom for his coun-try. " At 33, Moller is the youngest am-bassador to the U.S. ever. He said his position will be tem-porary because there will be no need for two ambassadors when East and West Germanies unite. He expects to be in the East German embassy in Washington, D.C., for two years. "I'm not sorry it will be short-term because it is so important," Moller said. He hopes to use his position to inform people about East Germany and ease their fears about reunification with West Germany. In the initial negotiations following the revolution, the Social Demo-cratic Party (SPD) earned the right to control East Germany's foreign ministry, according to Moller. He has personal connections to Foreign Minister Markus Meckel through his membership in the SPD, and he has lived in the United States and is fluent in English. Those fac-tors contributed to his appointment, he said. Spring semester for Moller was hectic, to say the least. In addition to teaching here, he traveled to East Germany several times. He left Sioux Falls immediately after com-mencement to receive the official appointment and undergo training in Berlin. Moller moved into the embassy by mid-June, just1months after he thought his connections to his homeland had been severed forever. `Blackmailed' to Leave Moller left the country in March 1989 after struggling for over a year to gain permission from East Ger-man authorities to marry an American woman. AUGUSTANA TODAY Augustana College 29th & Summit Sioux Falls, SD 57197 ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED FORWARD AND RETURN POSTAGE GUARANTEED He had met Tina Petrov in 1986 while he was teaching at a seminary in Columbus, Ohio, and she had followed him to East Germany. Finally, they were allowed to marry on the condition that Moller would obtain a permanent exit visa. By approving his marriage to an American, authorities "black-mailed" him to leave the country. "I was not banned from the state, but I lost my right to reside there permanently," he said. Tina returned to Columbus im-mediately after the wedding in January 1989 and resumed her career as a high school Latin teacher. Michael followed three months later. He came to Augustana last September on a one-year appoint-ment in the religion/philosophy/ classics department. At the time, he had no reason to suspect his country would undergo such revolutionary changes during his year here. Continued on page 4 NONPROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO.5 SIOUX FALLS, SD |
Contributing Institution | Mikkelsen Library, Augustana University |