Dalai Lama celebrated his 90th birthday: Looking back at a secret Wiblingwerde visit!

Dalai Lama celebrated his 90th birthday: Looking back at a secret Wiblingwerde visit!

Exactly 30 years ago, in the quiet community of Nachrodt-Wiblingwerde, in the middle of the Märkisches Kreis, an event was experienced that remained unforgettable for both the small and large minds of this region. On May 4, 1995, the Dalai Lama visited the community, an event that was largely kept secret but nevertheless touched many people. At the invitation of Werner Kocher, chairman of the Dortmund Reinoldi Guild, the Dalai Lama took time to speak to entrepreneurs, politicians and the then municipal director Dieter Klaus. As localdirekt reports, the Dalai Lama even signed his latest book and had lively discussions.

The visit, which lasted two hours, took place on the terrace of the Kocher family home, where Thomas Kocher, then 25 years old, was present. He remembered the Dalai Lama as an extremely humble and charismatic person. The holy man, who was chosen as the reincarnation of the 13th Dalai Lama at the age of two, has been in exile since 1959 and is a tireless advocate for humanity and human rights. By the way, his 90th birthday was recently celebrated in Dharamsala, India, as come-on.de also mentions.

An unforgettable meeting

During his visit to Wiblingwerde, the police presence was unobtrusive, but the security precautions were still up to date. This memorable meeting was characterized by successive conversations and a half-hour private audience with the Kocher family. In this personal meeting, the Dalai Lama discussed general topics and even invited the family to his birthday, which, however, could not be attended due to their fear of flying.

The Dalai Lama still has the guest gift, a cast-iron wild boar, on his desk today, and it is a symbol of the warm connection that developed during the visit. “The Kocher family is particularly proud of this gift,” says Thomas Kocher, who describes the evening as an echo of friendliness and humanity.

A look into the future

Although the Dalai Lama has celebrated in Dharamsala in recent years and aims to focus on health, there is already speculation about possible future visits to the Märkisches Kreis. If some patrons had their way, there could possibly be another encounter in the next 40 years. Such visits would be another highlight not only for the region, but also for many people living here. The district archive's media database now also offers some photos from the previous visit, ensuring that this valuable chapter in Wiblingwerde's history remains alive. Thanks to invitations from the Reinoldi Guild, important personalities are repeatedly brought to Dortmund in order to anchor their ideas and ideas in the region.

So we can only hope that we will be able to experience more special moments like this in the future, which will inspire us all and make us think.