Prof. Dr. Rev. Michel Georges Breydy

* 16.11.1928         12.09.1994

"World history shows us also another way to bring different peoples together in an lasting federation, namely the way of famous cultures.  ...
A commonly based civilization requests spiritual values which will never allow it anyone chasing for power, to suppress one or the other culture-bearing element in a federation of peoples nor to have it removed in silence."

Michel Breydy in: Perspektiven 1/1985

Prof. Dr. Rev. Michel Breydy deceased on 12th September 1994 on a journey to Lebanon, his home country. It was his first visit since breakout of the civil war in 1978, accompanied by his son Hans-Georg.

Born 1928 in the northern mountains of the Akkar, in a little Maronite-Christian village named Kobayat, he always maintained the straightforward character of the mountain's farmers. Being the "Benjamin" of 12 children of which 10 survived he became the only one to achieve an academic degree. After primary school in an institution run by Italian monks, he attended 1946-1951 the University of St. Joseph in Kaslik - Jounieh and spend one year in Salamanca - Spain where he achieved his doctor in theology "summa cum laude".

1954-1957 he studied on the Lateran University in Rome to achieve his second doctorate in iuris canoci "magna cum laude".

1953-54 he read History of Philosophy at he college de Ste. Famille.

1958-1965 he had been Processor for Theology and Liturgy at the theological University Ker-Yaqub Karm-Saddé in North-Lebanon. In the same time he worked as Promotor Iustitiae and Defensor Vinculi at the confessional Lebanese Family Court.

The II. Vaticanum he joined as socius peritus of the Archbishop of Tripoli, whose speech in Latin he had to write. 1980 he was asked by his close friend, Dr. Gerhard Kienle, the founder of the first privately run University in Germany, to build one of the first institutes, the later faculty of oriental studies. Michel Breydy lead the near eastern oriental studies in Witten / Herdecke from 1984 until 1991. Even thrown back by an heart-attack and operation in 1989.

His wide education lead to the knowledge of 10 languages and more than 60 publications in 5 of these languages, added by an amount of readings at the various international orientalist congresses.

For his merits in the effort of a closer Lebanese-German relationship he was awarded the "Medaille d'or pour le mérite" of the Lebanese Republic and the 1st Class Federal Merit Medal of the Federal Republic of Germany.

-----------------------------------------------------

Born in Kobayat to a Maronite family in 1928, Father Michel (Gerges Tannous Gerges Breydy), completed his elementary education at the Carmelite Fathers’ School in Kobayat, the Carmelite Seminary in Tripoli, and then at the Saint Anthony Seminary in Karm Saddeh until 1951.

Having obtained a PhD from the University of Salamanca in Spain in 1952, he returned to Karm Saddeh and was ordained to the priesthood in 1953.

Between 1954 and 1957, he went to Rome where he earned a Doctorate in Canon Law from the Pontifical Lateran University.

Between 1958 and 1965, he taught dogmatic theology and liturgy at the Karm Saddeh Seminary and was the promoter of justice at the Ecclesiastical Tribunal of Tripoli, as well as a delegate of the Archbishop of Tripoli to the Apostolic nuncio.

In 1980, he established the Institute of Oriental Studies at the German University of Witten/Herdecke founded by his friend Gerhard Kienle.

From 1984 to 1991, Professor Michel Breydy headed the Department of Levantine Studies at the said university. He died in 1994.

Fluent in ten languages, he left behind publications in five languages, encompassing over 60 books, research papers, articles, interpretations, lectures, in addition to numerous manuscripts he helped discover and publish, especially involving the works of Lebanese Orientalists.

In recognition of his efforts to promote Lebanese-German relations, Father Breydy was awarded the Order of Merit (First Grade) by the Lebanese government, as well as a high-ranking distinction by the German Federal Government.