In Memory

Angelika Koester-Lossack

Dr. Angelika Köster-Lossak  1947 – 2020 a former colleague of ours, and a friend to many of us died on 29. November, in Heidelberg.

Angelika taught courses in Sociology for the UMUC overseas program from 1974-1994, and as an Adjunct Faculty Member taught in such varied locations as  Heidelberg, Mannheim, Bitburg, Darmstadt, Hanau, Kaiserslautern, Karlsruhe, Ramstein, Wiesbaden, and SHAPE. In addition to teaching for UMUC, Angelika also taught university courses at the University of Mannheim (FH), as well as the University of Heidelberg.

Subsequent to her work as adjunct faculty, for the UMUC overseas program Angelika became a member of the German Bundestag from 1994 until 2002 as a member of the Bündnis90/Die Grünen fraction (the German Green Party.) Following her departure from the Bundestag Angelika became head of office of the Heinrich Böll Stiftung in Lahore, Pakistan working on peace, democratization and security policies. 

Angelika was intensely interested in varied cultures and geo-political issues. She spent one year in an Israeli Kibbutz, and even learned how to read Hebrew.  She spent her retirement years in Bensheim, Germany, and was deeply involved in community affairs, especially with the Auerbacher Synagogenverein (Bensheim-Auerback) as well as the Hochschule für Jüdische Studien Heidelberg.

Many things could be said in praise of her but a few words from a recent obituary signed by fellow members of the Bundestag and Landtag delegates may, perhaps, suffice to show how valued she was (Rhein-Neckar-Zeitung, 7 December, 2020):

She was a defender [of human rights] par excellence and did what she could to make the world a little more just, peaceful and beautiful. As a politician and citizen, she has made a name for herself, above all, for the equality of women. In addition, her great commitment was always aimed at people, regardless of gender or origin. Thanks to her large international network, she not only set important communal groundwork for rights that are, today, considered self-evident, but also worked globally in the best sense of a free, democratic world citizen. Angelika was characterized by her big heart, her decency and her fine being. 

Indeed, Angelika was a fine person. She was a remarkable resource for her students, fellow colleagues, and friends. She will be sorely missed by many.

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Submitted by John Booth