If someone was in a responsible position for 35 years, then he has certainly left lasting traces. Graduate pedagogue Michael Nopper was the head of the Villingen educational center within the educational institution of the Archdiocese of Freiburg for a long time, and also deputy director of the educational institution of the Archdiocese of Freiburg for several years since 2008. Since 2017 he has also worked 50 percent as a speaker in central administration. He will retire on July 31, as they say, and will leave a well-established field of work in Villingen.
Time for an orderly handover
In the past few weeks, due to the corona regulations in the education center in the Villingen Münster Center, courses, conferences, lectures, seminars and excursions could no longer be offered. Time for the outgoing leader to put everything in order, prepare the program for the fall and enable an orderly handover.
An official farewell, as it would have been appropriate for him due to his merits, must unfortunately be canceled. It remains a silent farewell or, as Nopper says with a smile, “a farewell-free farewell”.
“Privileged and fulfilling professional life”
Nopper, as he says himself, can look back on a privileged and fulfilling professional life that gave him a lot of joy and fun. Nopper was born and grew up in Freiburg. He first studied political science, but he soon knew that it would make it difficult to earn a living. Already active at the state institute for political education at that time, he was in contact with Professor Xaver Fiederle, who also lectured in adult education at the PH Freiburg. The then 30-year-old Nopper moved to the Freiburg University of Applied Sciences and studied graduate education with a focus on adult education.
The relationship with his mentor lasted until his death in 2008, which was also documented in the fact that Fiederle often lectured in Villingen. Nopper participated in projects of the National Center for Political Education, led courses and developed teaching materials.
Growing up in Catholic youth work
In 1985 he applied for the vacant position at the education center in Villingen. He succeeded Josef Zolk. Since Nopper himself had grown up in Catholic youth work and had trained group leaders, the church field was no stranger to him. Rather, it gave him a headache how he and his family should move from the sunny and warm Breisgau up to the cold Baar. But he soon found a home here with his wife and three children.
Often times ahead with the offers
Looking back at his 35-year working time in Villingen, where he found his office and the conference rooms in the Villingen Minster Center, he can see that the offers that he and his speakers and staff have made over the years have often been way ahead of their time . For example, 30 years ago you could fill the Villingen Franciscan with 800 visitors when you invited to a lecture on Jakobusweg, which was mostly unknown at that time long before Hape Kerperling. One entered new territory on topics related to neighborhood assistance or the offer “German for refugees” long before the refugee crisis came.
“Our focus in adult education,” says Nopper, “has always been education. This in turn has “something to do with society, but it always changes”. Therefore, his goal was always a cultural diakonia, which is synonymous with “service to society”. The church, as its employer, became increasingly less important in society. “The broad impact is lost,” says Nopper. Despite everything, one focus remained on theology, the second was general education.
Clientele is changing
To date, 13 courses have been offered each week, with the clientele increasingly changing. In the beginning there were still many women who accepted the offers in addition to part-time work and family, but today they are mainly pensioners and pensioners. One could count thousands of participants every year. He maintained close cooperation with the Villingen-Schwenningen Adult Education Center with the then director Christel Pache and the Protestant adult work in the person of Karin Nagel.
Met a lot of interesting people
Noppers’ task was to design the program and search for speakers. At first he lectured himself and gave courses, but the brocracy found its way. The year is divided into three blocks in which offers are made that increasingly take up holistic topics. You always tried to be authentic and up to date.
Looking back, Nopper says that he was able to get to know many interesting people. He himself wants to remain curious in his new phase of life. The man with the pipe is now looking forward to visits to museums, exhibitions, reading and cooking as well as a new free time.
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