Ernst Sieber (pastor)

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Ernst Sieber (2007)

Ernst Sieber (born February 24, 1927 in Horgen ; † May 19, 2018 in Zurich ), known as Pastor Sieber , was a Swiss Protestant Reformed pastor, head of a social service, author of several books and a national councilor . He became known throughout Switzerland for his work for the homeless, drug addicts and AIDS sufferers.

Life

Ernst Sieber was the son of the electro mechanic Hans Sieber and the Katharina Josepha Sieber-Hess. He began his professional career as a farmhand and attended the Strickhof agricultural school until 1947 . In 1950 he took the second way to graduate from high school . He studied theology and was ordained pastor in 1956. From 1956 to 1967 he served as pastor in Uitikon-Waldegg . From 1967 until his retirement in 1992 he was pastor in Zurich-Altstetten . From 1988 to 1992 he was Dean of Zurich. From 1991 to 1995 he was a member of the National Council for the Evangelical People's Party . Sieber was married to the singer Sonja Sieber-Vassalli, had four children of his own, one adopted and three foster children and lived in Uitikon-Waldegg. He died in May 2018 at the age of 91 in the Triemli City Hospital in Zurich with his family. The abdication ceremony took place in the Grossmünster .

Social work

In the above-average cold winter of 1963 (see Seegfrörni ), Sieber's attention was drawn when he set up accommodation for the homeless in an old bunker in Zurich. This became a self-governing community of homeless people, who moved into a house in 1975 that has now become the Suneboge (Sonnenbogen) living and working community with 35 beds and 20 sheltered jobs.

At the end of the 1980s, he began to look after the drug addicts on the Platzspitz . Contact points, emergency sleeping quarters, an AIDS hospice and rehabilitation facilities were set up, which were finally brought together in the Pfarrer Sieber Social Services Foundation, which was managed by him.

The social works grew to such a size that Sieber was not up to the administrative task. In the second half of the 1990s, the social welfare organizations were in the press due to liquidity problems. After several reorganizations, in which Sieber resigned from the management and some plants were outsourced, the foundation is now financially restructured.

Pastor Sieber was involved in practical work until his death. The foundation “Sozialwerke Pfarrer Sieber”, founded by him in 1988, comprises (as of 2018) 16 offers and facilities such as Sune-Egge, Pfuusbus or Brot-Egge. Under the direction of Pastor Christoph Zingg, around 180 employees work for these institutions with a budget of around 22 million francs.

Honors

Publications (selection)

  • Platzspitz, tip of the iceberg: Youth and adult problems of our time: encounters, events and a vision for the future. Zytglogge, Gümligen 1991, ISBN 3-7296-0373-6 .
  • Human goods - real people: From the bunker to the Suneboge. The family history of the homeless. Zytglogge, Gümligen 1987, ISBN 3-7296-0249-7 .
  • Light in the tunnel: on the way from Assisi to Zurich. Zytglogge, Gümligen 1998, ISBN 3-7296-0541-0 .
  • Welcome to the hostel. In: reformed. December 9, 2015(Christmas sermon).;

literature

Documentation / TV

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Caroline Micaela Hauger: Pastor Ernst Sieber - A trail of love. In: Schweizer Illustrierte . May 21, 2018, accessed May 21, 2018 .
  2. ↑ "So goodbye, Mr. National Pastor!" Pastor Sieber († 91) told of his parliamentary years. In: Blick.ch from May 21, 2018 ( blick.ch ).
  3. ↑ Carmen Roshard: Wetted farewell in Grossmünsterplatz of Ernst Sieber. In: Tages-Anzeiger from June 1, 2018.
  4. ↑ Pastor Ernst Sieber has died - his works live on. Social works Pastor Sieber from May 20, 2018.
  5. ↑ Denise Marquard: The bookkeeper of God. Obituary in: Tages-Anzeiger . May 22, 2018.
  6. ^ University of Zurich: Annual Report 1988/89. (PDF) pp. 16, 27, 70, 171. Accessed on May 26, 2018.
  7. ↑ Awarding of the Golden Pea. Retrieved May 22, 2018.
  8. ↑ City of Zurich honors Pastor Dr. Ernst Sieber. Media release by the City of Zurich, September 18, 2013, accessed on May 20, 2018 .
  9. ↑ Gian Signorell: Ernst Sieber - the good shepherd of Zurich. In: Observer . September 26, 2017. Retrieved May 20, 2018 .
personal data
SURNAME Sieber, Ernst
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Swiss evangelical reformed pastor, national councilor, author and founder of social services
DATE OF BIRTH February 24, 1927
PLACE OF BIRTH Horgen
DATE OF DEATH 19th May 2018
Place of death Zurich