Lifelong Learning

At German universities it gets greyer and greyer - but only on the heads. More and more retired seniors pluck up courage and discover philosophy, French and mathematics – as students. For instance at the University of Cologne.

01.07.2009

40 younger and 40 older students learn together in this seminar
© REHACARE.de

Monday morning; almost ten o’clock. A tall man with white hair is taking the broad stairs at a run. With a sporty black nylon bag in his hand he is walking to room twelve where his next seminar will take place. When he enters the half-round room with wooden walls and chairs which are arranged like in a cinema there are already around fifty other students waiting for the referent.

He always sits in the middle of the back row. “Hello Gisela”, he greets the older student sitting next to him and lays down a folder with notices on his table. Actually, Horst-Dieter Landefeld is a typical student – except the fact that he has white hair – like about half of the other students, too. The younger students could be his grandchildren.

With the age of 75 Landefeld is one of around 2,000 mature age students at Cologne University. “As a guest student I am allowed to take part in almost all courses but I do not have to do any exams”, he explains and laughs. This costs a hundred Euros per semester. “In this semester I have five courses. That’s enough, because I also want to prepare the topics.“ And what is more he also has a patient woman, two children and five grandchildren who want to see their grandfather, as well.

Miriam Haller knows her mature age
students pretty well © REHACARE.de

Apart from the usual courses at Cologne University there are additional offers only for seniors like the so called workgroups. These are organised and financed by donations and dues of the booster club of the guest and senior study path. In contrast, the Monday morning seminar with the subject lifelong learning is for the old and young ones together.

Miriam Haller is good-humoured. The age researcher leads the study path and is the referent of the seminar. She asks the question: “Should it be a duty for seniors to learn all life long?” She does not have to wait for answers. “I want to have the right to say ‘I have learned enough’ says one older student. A natty dressed elderly woman answers: “I just do not know why we always complain about the word duty.” “It is because this would be against our democratic idea. We already have the compulsory education”, counters a young blonde girl with a low-cut neckline.

Esther Küpper and Magdalene Rugor, 23 and 24 years old, also take part in the seminar. They are students of educational science and like the mixture of young and old. “Of course, we have respect for the older students and we address them formally, However, it does not discourage us – actually it motivates us”, Magdalene says. Esther agrees and adds: “Furthermore, by this way we do not talk about the older generation but with it. It is much more interesting.” This is exactly what Miriam Haller wanted to achieve. “If I did not have old students here I would have to hold their view artificially. However, here they are and can do it on their own.”

Good mix: Horst-Dieter Landefeld and two younger fellow students © REHACARE.de

After the seminar on his way to the cafeteria Horst-Dieter Landefeld steps out of the main building and takes a look at its dull grey front from the thirties. “When I was 14 in the main building there was the University and Public Library where I did a job training.” Now, over 60 years and one life as an insurance employee later, he has been studying in the building again – for 12 years.

In the cafeteria the students have their break. Although Landefeld is the only older student here he does not seem to be excluded. While drinking his coffee he remembers: “I had not planned being a student. At the beginning of retirement I read an article about a lecture at the university. I went there and it was so exciting that I continued.”

The studies have changed his perspective. “On the one hand I am more critical on the other hand I take things easier if I cannot change them anyway.” The university keeps the pensioner young. For this reason he voluntarily chose “lifelong” - lifelong learning. What would he do without studying? “Probably I would work more in our house and garden. And perhaps support my wife more in the household”, he considers. Quitting? Not yet. „I met my children at university. Perhaps I will meet my grandchildren here, as well. The youngest is 15 years old.”

Natascha Mörs
REHACARE.de