Leidenbach, Wilhelm (gen. WILEI)

Christian youth leader

Born: 14.04.1907 in Biebrich

died: 03.06.1994 in Wiesbaden

In addition to his job as managing director of the Wiesbaden butchers' guild from 1938-76, Leidenbach held numerous honorary posts. As early as 1920, he was involved in the first founding of the Wiesbaden City Youth Ring, from 1923 he was active in the Christian Scout Association (CP) and in 1931 he was one of the co-founders of the Wiesbaden Scout Ring, which opposed the emerging Hitler Youth. He had been a member of the Confessing Church since 1934. When the CP was banned in 1937, Leidenbach managed to save its country home in Wingsbach (Taunus) from confiscation with the help of the church.

From 1946, Leidenbach devoted himself intensively to the reconstruction of Wiesbaden. From 1947-79, he was elected churchwarden of the Protestant Ringkirche parish and from 1950-59 was a member of the general church council of the Protestant Church in Wiesbaden. In 1947 he was co-founder and until 1955 chairman of the Protestant Youth Ring Wiesbaden, 1950-55 chairman of the City Youth Ring, 1960-78 managing director of the German Youth Hostel Association in Wiesbaden.

He reported on church life in Wiesbaden on a voluntary basis in many newspapers. The experience of persecution during the so-called Third Reich and his Christian faith shaped his life. In his commitment to the youth and the Protestant church, he had an impact far beyond his home town. The youth homes in Kloppenheim, Langenseifen near Bad Schwalbach and the Protestant youth center Bonhoefferhaus in Wiesbaden are all based on his initiative.

His numerous honors include the Wiesbaden Citizens' Medal (1976), the Letter of Honor of the State of Hesse (1978), the Federal Cross of Merit (1982) and the Gold Crown Cross of the Diakonisches Werk Wiesbaden (1986).