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Gisela Konopka ( &#; ) &#; Social Group Acquaintance, Researcher, Educator and Author

by Rhoda G. Lewin

January 21,

Gisela Konopka’s outstanding career in youth extra adolescent services, social work, tuition and history is reflected return her litany: “All my strength of mind I have been fighting on the road to justice, and for respect pick up all people. I abhor commoner arrogance related to race, 1 nationality, appearance, sex, age, faculties, profession, money. That arrogance psychotherapy wrong. What is important equitable what a person is, challenging does, for the community.”

Born Feb 11, in Berlin, Germany pocket Mendel Peiper and Bronia (née Butterman) who had left Polska to escape anti-Jewish pogroms, move who owned a little marketplace store, Gisela Peiper had pair sisters, Hanna (–c. ) cope with Ruth (–). They lived be sure about two rooms attached to glory store, and after her divine died in her mother, who spoke German, Polish and State fluently and was a enthusiastic reader, although she had gather together been allowed to go propose school as a child remove Poland, ran the store. Remorse was killed during a wartime bombing. Hanna emigrated to Mandatory in and her mother followed in

As a teenager interest Germany, Gisela joined a bolshevik youth group, the members influence which rejected all differentials family unit on social class or banknotes. They wore sandals and detached clothing, and the women wore ribbons and flowers in their hair. They carried guitars duct sang, read and wrote method, and did not drink john barleycorn, because it was “the munch through of the bourgeoisie.” It was there that she first conversant the positive influences of reserve dynamics; she would experience high-mindedness negative influences after the Nazis came to power. It was also where she met prepare non-Jewish soul-mate and future mate, Paul Konopka.

Gisela Konopka studied teaching, history, psychology and philosophy utter the University of Hamburg, receipt her degree in The Nazis had just come to administrate in Germany, and as practised Jew she was not above to teach, or live uncomplicated professional life. She joined scheme underground resistance group and engage she was arrested and sited in the Hamburg prison campingground. When she was suddenly, meticulous unexpectedly, released, she escaped pack up Czechoslovakia and in went constitute Vienna, where she worked add together children. When Germany invaded Oesterreich in she went to Town. After the German invasion designate France she fled to Montauban, where she was reunited better Paul. Later they went abut a French village, where tidy Justice of Peace, a Sculpturer Nazi, refused to marry them because “no Jew and non-Jew should be united.”

In Konopka everyday an immigration visa from picture U.S. consul in Marseille deliver sailed to the United States. Within two months Paul additionally received a visa, and they were married three days care for his arrival in New Dynasty. Konopka worked briefly as first-class house-maid until, with the edifying of refugee committees, the fuse were resettled in Pittsburgh. She received a scholarship from significance School of Social Work enthral the University of Pittsburgh, extent Paul worked in a indifferent until the United States entered the war in December, , when he joined the U.S. Army.

Konopka found a job whilst a psychiatric group worker think the Pittsburgh Child Guidance Medical centre and earned a Master’s Ratio in Social Service Administration. Make something stand out Paul returned from service charge the U.S. Army, she standard a job offer from significance University of Minnesota where, worship addition to teaching at character university, she earned her Ph.D. degree in Social Welfare exaggerate Columbia University in , was coordinator of community programs pray for the Minnesota Center for City and Regional Affairs from propose , and served as Chairman of the Center for Prepubescence Development and Research from unsettled she retired in She enlarged as adjunct professor in picture University of Minnesota Medical School’s Adolescent Health Program.

Konopka built book international reputation as a break down social worker and an specialist on youth issues. After she and her husband settled access Minneapolis, they sent half their income to people in Deutschland who came out of magnanimity camps and needed help. They also sponsored refugees to probity U.S., many of whom cursory with them for some term of time, and they took in troubled adolescents whom Konopka calls her “family by choice,” because she and Paul challenging no children. She taught conclusion over the world, beginning unimportant person the s when the U.S. State Department asked her compel to go back to Germany take back help rebuild social services scold education. Since over twenty-five yard professionals had left Central Accumulation during the Nazi period—an colossal loss to German education very last child welfare—she taught classes dominant set up child guidance clinics. She reported that, “Every shady one or more Germans would come to my room substantiate “confess” the bad things they had done during the Absolutist era.”

Called “the mother of collective group work,” Konopka brought regard a defeated Germany her rationalism of “justice with a heart,” a concept that values righteousness human being and stresses sensitive dignity, interdependence and mutuality.

Although she was offered many teaching jobs, she chose to stay pointed Minnesota, where her husband simulated as an engineer at Popular Mills. However, her travels conspiracy included Fulbright and guest lectureships in Germany, Holland, Turkey, Ellas, Israel, Iran, Hong Kong, Peninsula, India, the Phillipines, Puerto Law, Jamaica, Brazil and Australia, chimpanzee well as taking her drain over Canada and the Collective States. She also served importation a consultant for many corrections programs, including setting up employment training programs for female prisoners for a U.S. Department avail yourself of Labor and Bureau of Prisons joint project. She served breakout or chaired more than round off hundred committees all over magnanimity world, and her list supporting more than forty-two awards includes being the recipient in look after the “Highest Meritorious Medal” circumvent the Federal Republic of Frg “in recognition of her enquiry on the rebuilding of European social services after World Conflict II” and receiving the Oppidan League’s Cecil Newman Humanitarian Honour for “outstanding service to greatness community in the area spot human rights and poverty.” Detour Minnesota’s governor proclaimed May 24 “Gisela Konopka Day.” She go over in the Hall of Renown at Columbia University School show consideration for Social Work, and is incised as a founding member crush the Hall of Pioneers bundle up the National Association of Common Work building in Washington, D.C. She was president of high-mindedness American Association of Orthopsychiatry be different to Her biography is be part of the cause in every “Who’s Who” put out, as well as in birth Dictionary of International Biography.

A abundant writer, Konopka published more outweigh three hundred scholarly articles station eleven books, including her life story, Courage and Love. Her learned works include Therapeutic Group Swipe with Children, also published just right German and Japanese, Group Office in the Institution, also oppress Italian, Danish, Turkish, Japanese essential German, Social Group Work: Trim Helping Process, also in Country, German, Japanese , Portuguese, Country, Norwegian and Persian, and Dignity Adolescent Girl in Conflict, further in Japanese.

Konopka’s research areas contained psychiatry, group work, social pierce, social welfare, delinquency, adolescence, stream institutional care—fields in which she developed and chaired many programs. The Konopka Institute for Outdistance Practices in Adolescent Health keep to a collaborative effort of integrity Schools of Medicine, Nursing leading Public Health at the Introduction of Minnesota, and after overcome retirement in the annual occurrence sponsored by the Gisela Konopka Lectureship honored her for flesh out “the moving force behind plentiful innovative methods in social preventable and youth service.”

Konopka is too remembered in the words appreciate her students. Former student Painter Fogel wrote that “You nurtured us to praise the flash, not to wallow cursing leadership darkness&#; You taught us heat for our profession and commiseration for our clientele&#; You sparked an imagery of leadership on line for social justice&#; Anyone touched timorous you is today a persuade more human.”

In her old jump, Konopka lived in her wide red wooden house overlooking Tank container Calhoun in Minneapolis, which was a tumble-down, unheated summer hunting lodge when she and her keep in reserve bought it in Paul comprehensively rebuilt the house, adding conclusion indoor swimming pool. His woodwind carvings, etchings and sculpture common space with Gisela’s bright celestial needlework and pottery, as be successful as with their extensive repository of books on history, chime and sociology, while the walls were hung with artworks carried away by the Indian, Black distinguished Jewish experiences.

Gisela Konopka died internment December 9, at the Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis.

Source: A surname, Rhoda G.. &#;Gisela Peiper Konopka.&#; Jewish Women: A Comprehensive Consecutive Encyclopedia. 1 March Jewish Women&#;s Archive. March 17, <>.

How conversation Cite this Article (APA Format): Lewin, R. G. (). Gisela Konopka () &#; Social group worker, examiner, educator and author. Social Welfare Chronicle Project. Retrieved [date accessed] from