Article from the Concordia Connection, Portland Oregon, Summer of 2011

Weidenweber Earns Doctor of Letters

 

Concordia University presented an honorary Doctor of Letters degree to Sigrid Weidenweber in December 2010, in recognition of her significant contributions to literature and history. In particular, she is an advocate force for Volga Germanpeople and their unique history, and provides ongoing support and promotion of Concordia's mission and vision. Ms. Weidenweber of Santa Rosa Valley, California, is an extraordinary example of a humanitarian, Christian, and published author who has always been an advocate and spokesperson for people without a voice.

Born in Germany in 1941, Ms. Weidenweber remembers firsthand the horrific aftermath of Fascism. At the end of the war, she found herself living under Communism. Both of these totalitarian regimes had a dramatic impact on her life and work. After the Berlin Wall was built, she finally escaped this repressive environment with the help of friends and a French passport. Sigrid holds degrees in medical technology and psychology. Her first book, Escaping the Twilight, deals with aspects of medical anthropology in an Islamic culture. Her wide range of interests led to the writing of the trilogy, The Volga Flows Forever, published by Concordia Press. Concordia University's Center for Volga German Studies (CVGS), housed in the George R. White Library & Learning Center, owes a great deal of its success to Ms. Weidenweber's efforts as a speaker, spokesperson, and author. Her work has done much to further friend-raising and fundraising for Concordia and the CVGS. In addition to Concordia and the CVGS, Ms. Weidenweber has shared her gifts and talents with a wide variety of non-profit community benefit organizations.