Dölf Weder (officially Adolf Martin Weder) was born in Burgdorf BE on
the 26th of December 1950. He is the oldest of four children of
Adolf
Weder-Rietmann, civil engineer, and Heidy (Heidi) Weder-Rietmann, administrative
assistant and
housewife. Happy youth and school years in Burgdorf and since 1956 in
St. Gallen. In the age of eleven, first contact with the youth work
of the YMCA St. Gallen. The YMCA became a shaping force for active youth
years and the direction of the whole life. After the gymnasium at the
Cantonal School St. Gallen followed studies in economy and social sciences at the
University
of St. Gallen, and in theology, social psychology and applied
informatics at the
University of Zürich. In 1979 Dölf Weder received a doctor
degree (Dr. theol.) in practical theology with a thesis on
"Christian
Youth Work", and - after serving one year as a vicar in the
parishes of Zürich-Seebach and Baar - was ordained as a minister (VDM) of the
evangelical-reformed church.
1979 to 1986 Dölf Weder worked as
General Secretary
of the YMCA St. Gallen. Besides leading the St. Gallen association and
the YMCA vacation centre La Punt-Chamues-ch, his emphasis was on camp
work with teenagers and young adults, as well as the introduction of Ten
Sing work in Switzerland. 1982 Dölf Weder became a military
chaplain in the Swiss Army. During the years 1987 to 1990 he worked as a
parish minister in Wil SG, partly combined with a part-time employment as
a lecturer for religion at the Cantonal School in St. Gallen.
Dölf Weder represented the Swiss
YMCA already since the seventies on European and World
YMCA level. In 1990 he was called to serve as the Secretary General
of the European Alliance of YMCAs, the
European YMCA umbrella organisation with almost two million programme
participants, seat in St. Gallen, since 1999 in Prague. The opening of
Eastern Europe meant an enormous challenge and the almost doubling of
the number of National Movements in the nineties. The annual European
Secretary's Reports presented by Dölf Weder and shown on this
website give an interesting picture of the development of the European
YMCA during these years.
In summer 1998 Dölf Weder became a part-time councillor
of the Evangelical-reformed Church of the Canton St.
Gallen. Until the
end of 1999 he was responsible for its adult education department. 2000
to 2014 Dölf Weder served as the President of this church, a new task and challenge. It is documented on this
website through speeches and
texts. 2014 he went into early retirement and withdrew from public
responsibilites. He is concentrating now even more on
music.
Dölf Weder is single and got to know wide parts of
Europe and his people through extensive professional and private travel. Study trips
and professional journeys led him also to North- and South-America,
Asia, North-Africa and the Caribbean. During vacations and leisure time
Dölf Weder enjoyed many years going on long-distance bicycle
trips, baggage and a Leica accompanying him. Some examples of his
photographic images
are shown on this website. When watching pictures himself, he specially
likes the classical humanist photography.
In his free time Dölf Weder likes nordic walking, camping and other outdoor sports,
enjoys music and various music
instruments. He is also interested in computers and
the internet; this website
is a product of it.
Further Information:
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