[KS] Koreanstudies Digest, Vol 99, Issue 7

[Frank Hoffmann]

One has to keep in mind that these are all 
publications by the Benedictines themselves, to 
start with. If there would have been a "reason" 
then they would unlikely have pointed that out. 
(Selflessness, what is that?) One may want to 
keep in mind that they were Germans, after all, 
and the Berlin-Rome-Tokyo axis was still fresh in 
the minds of the Soviets and anyone else at that 
time, short after the war. Yet, also from what I 
heard in person from various former North Koreans 
who moved south before the war or during the war, 
their was a general "shut-down" of all religious 
institutions in *May* 1949. You probably know 
much more about the details than most here on 
this list do know. So, no, there was no 
"particular" reason given, no incident of any 
sort, just a general shut-down of all Christian 
churches, monasteries, etc.

My suspicion (but I have not done any research 
into this) is that there is a direct 
relation/link to the revolution in China, and 
more specifically to North East China 
(Manchuria), as far as timing is concerned. Those 
earlier mentioned Benedictine publications will 
give you also good chronologies with exact dates 
of what happened what ... should be compared with 
the general political history of 1949 in Korea 
and China. (All this is in storage, am in Italy, 
can't be of help there.)

Best,
Frank



>Dear Frank,
>
>Thanks for this important information about the 
>Benedictine folks. Does the German-language book 
>give the North Korean reason for incarcerating 
>these selfless people, who undoubtedly were much 
>appreciated in the Korean community? Or what 
>they took to be the real reason?
>
>Best,
>
>
>Bruce Cumings
>
>
>On Sep 6, 2011, at 6:42 PM, koreanstudies-request at koreaweb.ws wrote:
>
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>><<------------ KoreanStudies mailing list DIGEST ------------>>
>>
>>
>>Today's Topics:
>>
>>   1. Re: Fwd: Korea in 1925 (German film with Korean narration)
>>      (Dr. Edward D. Rockstein)
>>   2. Re: Koreanstudies Digest, Vol 99, Issue 5 (Frank Hoffmann)
>>   3. Re: Fwd: Korea in 1925 (German film with Korean narration)
>>      (Jim Thomas)
>>   4. Postdoctoral Fellowship in Korean Studies,	Australian
>>      National University (Hyaeweol Choi)
>>
>>
>>----------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>>Message: 1
>>Date: Tue, 6 Sep 2011 09:37:09 -0700 (PDT)
>>From: "Dr. Edward D. Rockstein" <ed4linda at yahoo.com>
>>To: Korean Studies Discussion List <koreanstudies at koreaweb.ws>
>>Subject: Re: [KS] Fwd: Korea in 1925 (German film with Korean
>>	narration)
>>Message-ID:
>>	<1315327029.12664.YahooMailClassic at web33901.mail.mud.yahoo.com>
>>Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
>>
>>Ed Baker's email and Charles Armstrong's 
>>response called to mind a colleague of 
>>yesteryear, the late Ross MacDonald from the 
>>University of Toronto, whom I met and saw at 
>>several AAS conventions and who always had time 
>>for me and other younger, erstwhile Korean 
>>scholars. Ross was, I believe, born or grew up 
>>in Wonsan of missionary parents. His wife, in 
>>1981, found some film in a trunk among her late 
>>husband's possessions. I suggest that those 
>>interested in old Korean footage check out this 
>>website:
>>
>>http://tinyurl.com/3w82cdd
>>
>>Regards,
>>
>>Ed Rockstein
>>
>>Dr. Edward D. Rockstein
>>
>>ed4linda at yahoo.com??
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>--- On Mon, 9/5/11, Charles K. Armstrong <cra10 at columbia.edu> wrote:
>>
>>From: Charles K. Armstrong <cra10 at columbia.edu>
>>Subject: Re: [KS] Fwd: Korea in 1925 (German film with Korean narration)
>>To: koreanstudies at koreaweb.ws
>>Date: Monday, September 5, 2011, 9:19 PM
>>
>>Dear Ed,
>>
>>Thank you for sharing this. I believe this was 
>>made by the same Benedictine monk whom I 
>>interviewed in Waegwan more than 20 years ago, 
>>when he was quite ill and nearing the end of 
>>his life. He told me many fascinating stories 
>>of the Benedictines' work in Wonsan, where 
>>their monastery was located before the Korean 
>>War. best,
>>
>>Charles
>>--Charles K. Armstrong
>>Professor of History
>>Director, Center for Korean Research
>>Columbia University
>>930 International Affairs Building
>>420 West 118th Street
>>New York, NY 10027
>>
>>Tel: 212-854-1721
>>Fax: 212-749-1497
>>
>>
>>Quoting "Edward J. Baker" <ejbaker at fas.harvard.edu>:
>>
>>>Dear Friends,
>>>
>>>Some of you may have seen this fascinating 
>>>hour-long film made by a? German Catholic 
>>>priest/missionary (Father Norbert Weber (sp?), 
>>>a? Benedictine monk or priest) in 1925, but, 
>>>if you haven't, you? should. It also contains 
>>>still photos Weber shot on an earlier trip? to 
>>>Korea in 1911. It shows a lot of things that 
>>>none of us, and? almost no living Korean, has 
>>>ever seen. I think it should be shared? widely 
>>>as our friend Peter Bartholomew has already 
>>>done.
>>>
>>>It was put together as a KBS Special but 
>>>somehow comes to us through? Chinese hands.
>>>
>>>If you just click on? 
>>><http://static.youku.com/v1.0.0103/v/swf/qplayer.swf?VideoIDS=XMTUzNzE0NjQw&e>, 
>>>it should open,? but if it doesn't try pasting 
>>>it into your? browser.
>>>
>>>Yours,
>>>
>>>Ed Baker
>>
>>
>>
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>>------------------------------
>>
>>Message: 2
>>Date: Tue, 6 Sep 2011 13:04:16 -0700
>>From: Frank Hoffmann <hoffmann at koreaweb.ws>
>>To: Korean Studies Discussion List <koreanstudies at koreaweb.ws>
>>Subject: Re: [KS] Koreanstudies Digest, Vol 99, Issue 5
>>Message-ID: <p06240601ca8c285b58c1@[192.168.1.218]>
>>Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"; Format="flowed"
>>
>>As regards to Professor Cumings' note below:
>>
>>Yes, that is right, until 1949, the year of the
>>interview that was the situation. That's the year
>>when they all got imprisoned and put away a North
>>Korean Gulag, to Oksad?k prison camp. One of the
>>books I had just listed in my last posting is a
>>record of this imprisonment from 1949 to 1954,
>>and about the period before that (from 1944).
>>Both, male missionaries and nuns (e.g. Maria
>>Gerstmayer and Bertwina Caesar who is still
>>alive) were imprisoned there, and some died of
>>permanent malnutrition and from the consequences
>>of hard labor with no treatment of diseases etc.
>>
>>Here again the book:
>>Kugelmann, Willibald, et al: Schicksal in Korea:
>>Deutsche Missionare berichten. 2nd ed., St.
>>Ottilien: EOS-Verlag, 1974 (reprint 1992, and 3rd
>>extended ed. 2009).
>>The new 2009 edition has new editors: Witgar 
>>Dondorfer and Willibrord Driever.
>>
>>Amazon.de link to the latest, revised 3rd edition (with new editor):
>>http://www.amazon.de/Schicksal-Korea-Missionare-berichten-1944-1954/dp/3830674031/
>>
>>There are 24 eyewitness reports in this book.
>>
>>
>>Best regards,
>>Frank
>>
>>>In early 1949 U.S. Ambassador John Muccio
>>>recorded a very interesting interview with one
>>>Father Hopple, of the Wonsan Benedictine
>>>monastery; among other things Father Hopple
>>>reported that there was little interference with
>>>their activities and that Christian churches
>>>were still open in the North from 1945 to 1949.
>>>He also said that he and his brethren rarely
>>>came across so-called Soviet-Koreans, and if
>>>they did they tended to come from the
>>>Russo-Korean border area or from Manchuria.
>>>Meanwhile secret North Korean Interior Ministry
>>>documents from November and December 1947
>>>indicate that some 61 Germans, mostly
>>>missionaries, lived in Wonsan and Kangwon
>>>province at the time. The Muccio interview is
>>>dated January 6, 1949 and is in the National
>>>Archives, Diplomatic Branch, 740.0019 file, box
>>>C-215; the North Korean documents are also in
>>>the National Archives, Record Group 242
>>>("Captured Enemy Documents"), SA2005, item 6/11.
>>>
>>>Bruce Cumings
>>>University of Chicago
>>
>>--
>>--------------------------------------
>>Frank Hoffmann
>>http://koreaweb.ws
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>>------------------------------
>>
>>Message: 3
>>Date: Tue, 6 Sep 2011 12:12:48 -0700
>>From: Jim Thomas <jimpthomas at hotmail.com>
>>To: Korean Studies Discussion List <koreanstudies at koreaweb.ws>
>>Subject: Re: [KS] Fwd: Korea in 1925 (German film with Korean
>>	narration)
>>Message-ID: <BLU165-W981D910199F8F98BA6B91DD1C0 at phx.gbl>
>>Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
>>
>>
>>Would Dr. Rockstein or other listserve members 
>>know if a copy of the full 6 hours of Morris' 
>>film footage still exits? And where?
>>And if it has been digitized and made available online?
>>thank you,
>>jim thomas
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>Date: Tue, 6 Sep 2011 09:37:09 -0700
>>From: ed4linda at yahoo.com
>>To: koreanstudies at koreaweb.ws
>>Subject: Re: [KS] Fwd: Korea in 1925 (German film with Korean narration)
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>Ed Baker's email and Charles Armstrong's 
>>response called to mind a colleague of 
>>yesteryear, the late Ross MacDonald from the 
>>University of Toronto, whom I met and saw at 
>>several AAS conventions and who always had time 
>>for me and other younger, erstwhile Korean 
>>scholars. Ross was, I believe, born or grew up 
>>in Wonsan of missionary parents. His wife, in 
>>1981, found some film in a trunk among her late 
>>husband's possessions. I suggest that those 
>>interested in old Korean footage check out this 
>>website:
>>
>>http://tinyurl.com/3w82cdd
>>
>>Regards,
>>
>>Ed Rockstein
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>Dr. Edward D. Rockstein
>>
>>
>>ed4linda at yahoo.com
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>--- On Mon, 9/5/11, Charles K. Armstrong <cra10 at columbia.edu> wrote:
>>
>>
>>From: Charles K. Armstrong <cra10 at columbia.edu>
>>Subject: Re: [KS] Fwd: Korea in 1925 (German film with Korean narration)
>>To: koreanstudies at koreaweb.ws
>>Date: Monday, September 5, 2011, 9:19 PM
>>
>>
>>Dear Ed,
>>
>>Thank you for sharing this. I believe this was 
>>made by the same Benedictine monk whom I 
>>interviewed in Waegwan more than 20 years ago, 
>>when he was quite ill and nearing the end of 
>>his life. He told me many fascinating stories 
>>of the Benedictines' work in Wonsan, where 
>>their monastery was located before the Korean 
>>War. best,
>>
>>Charles
>>--Charles K. Armstrong
>>Professor of History
>>Director, Center for Korean Research
>>Columbia University
>>930 International Affairs Building
>>420 West 118th Street
>>New York, NY 10027
>>
>>Tel: 212-854-1721
>>Fax: 212-749-1497
>>
>>
>>Quoting "Edward J. Baker" <ejbaker at fas.harvard.edu>:
>>
>>>Dear Friends,
>>>
>>>Some of you may have seen this fascinating 
>>>hour-long film made by a  German Catholic 
>>>priest/missionary (Father Norbert Weber (sp?), 
>>>a  Benedictine monk or priest) in 1925, but, 
>>>if you haven't, you  
>>>should. It also contains still photos Weber 
>>>shot on an earlier trip  to Korea in 1911. It 
>>>shows a lot of things that none of us, and 
>>>almost no living Korean, has ever seen. I 
>>>think it should be shared  widely as our 
>>>friend Peter Bartholomew has already done.
>>>
>>>It was put together as a KBS Special but 
>>>somehow comes to us through  Chinese hands.
>>>
>>>If you just click on 
>>><http://static.youku.com/v1.0.0103/v/swf/qplayer.swf?VideoIDS=XMTUzNzE0NjQw&e>, 
>>>it should open,  but if it doesn't try pasting 
>>>it into your  
>>>browser.
>>>
>>>Yours,
>>>
>>>Ed Baker
>>
>>
>>
>>			  
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>>
>>------------------------------
>>
>>Message: 4
>>Date: Wed, 07 Sep 2011 08:30:50 +1000
>>From: Hyaeweol Choi <Hyaeweol.Choi at anu.edu.au>
>>To: koreanstudies at koreaweb.ws
>>Subject: [KS] Postdoctoral Fellowship in Korean Studies,	Australian
>>	National University
>>Message-ID: <4E669F1A.3070100 at anu.edu.au>
>>Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"; Format="flowed"
>>
>>  Dear Colleagues,
>>
>>I would greatly appreciate it if you would share the following
>>information with interested scholars and students. Thank you.
>>
>>Best wishes,
>>Hyaeweol Choi
>>
>>__
>>
>>*Postdoctoral Fellowship 2012-2013, Australian National University*
>>
>>The Korea Institute at the Australian National University is offering a
>>two-year postdoctoral fellowship focusing on any one of three
>>possible areas of investigation: 1) the politics of Korea, with a focus
>>on modern and contemporary developments; 2) the economics of Korea,
>>including Korea's global involvement in multilateral issues; or 3) the
>>security of the Korean peninsula within the East Asian context.
>>
>>
>>The fellowship is for a fixed term of two years, beginning in August
>>2012. Applicants must have his/her PhD completed by the time of
>>appointment. Native or near-native fluency in both Korean and English is
>>required.
>>
>>The successful applicant is expected to 1) actively engage in research
>>while participating in various forums and seminars on campus, 2) teach
>>one course related to his/her research interest at some point during the
>>two-year period of the fellowship, and 3) accept some administrative
>>responsibilities in planning events on campus such as the Korean Studies
>>lecture series.
>>
>>The successful applicant will be eligible for a salary package of
>>A$80,000-85,000, plus 17% superannuation. The closing date for
>>applications is 15 December 2011.
>>
>>Applicants should send the following documents to: _korea at anu.edu.au_
>>
>>1) letter of interest
>>
>>2) current C.V.
>>
>>3) a writing sample (journal article or dissertation chapter)
>>
>>4) three letters of recommendation (to be sent directly by referees).
>>
>>Further inquiries should be sent to _korea at anu.edu.au_
>>
>>* *
>>
>>--
>>Hyaeweol Choi
>>ANU-Korea Foundation Professor of Korean Studies
>>Director, Korea Institute
>>School of Culture, History and Language
>>College of Asia and the Pacific
>>Australian National University
>>Canberra, ACT 0200
>>t. +61 2 6125 6476
>>e. Hyaeweol.Choi at anu.edu.au
>>w. http://koreainstitute.anu.edu.au
>>
>>--
>>Hyaeweol Choi
>>ANU-Korea Foundation Professor of Korean Studies
>>Director, Korea Institute
>>School of Culture, History and Language
>>College of Asia and the Pacific
>>Australian National University
>>Canberra, ACT 0200
>>t. +61 2 6125 6476
>>e. Hyaeweol.Choi at anu.edu.au
>>w. http://koreainstitute.anu.edu.au/
>>
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>>
>>End of Koreanstudies Digest, Vol 99, Issue 7
>>********************************************


-- 
--------------------------------------
Frank Hoffmann
http://koreaweb.ws