theologian
Theology is the study of religious belief from a religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of ...
,
historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human species; as well as the ...
, and author.
Weitling was born in
Haderslev
Haderslev (; ) is a Denmark, Danish town in the Region of Southern Denmark with a population of 22,405 (1 January 2025).Haderslev County,
Denmark
Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...
. After graduating from ''Haderslev Katedralskole'' in 1955, he studied Theology and Eastern Studies at the Universities of Bethel/Bielefeld, Mainz, Kiel, and Copenhagen. This was followed by a study of pedagogy in Breklum and stay at the Seminary in
Preetz
Preetz () is a town southeast of Kiel in the Plön (district), district of Plön, in Schleswig-Holstein, Northern Germany. Preetz is also known as "Schusterstadt" (English: 'shoemaker town') named after shoemakers who used to live and work in this ...
. He then served as a Lutheran pastor from 1962 to 1963 in
Jörl
Jörl ( or ''Hjørdel''John Kousgård Sørensen: ''Danske sø- og ånavne: T-Å'', Akademisk Forlag 1989, p. 108) is a municipality in the district of Schleswig-Flensburg, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Rep ...
(a district of Schleswig-Flensburg), from 1963 to 1965 in
Sønderborg
(; ) is a Denmark, Danish town in the Region of Southern Denmark. It is the main town and the administrative seat of Sønderborg Municipality (Kommune). The town has a population of 28,333 (1 January 2025),Copenhagen
Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...
. At the same time, he completed a clerkship at the gymnasium of
Tårnby
Tårnby () is a town in Denmark, the seat of Tårnby Municipality in the Capital Region of Denmark. It is located approximately south of central Copenhagen on the island of Amager. Neighbouring settlements include the Copenhagen suburb of S ...
in religion, history and archaeology. In 1970 he received his doctorate from the
University of Kiel
Kiel University, officially the Christian Albrecht University of Kiel, (, abbreviated CAU, known informally as Christiana Albertina) is a public research university in the city of Kiel, Germany. It was founded in 1665 as the ''Academia Holsator ...
. From 1970 to 1987, he worked as inspector at the Danish gymnasium in Sønderborg. From 1987 until his retirement in 2000 he was pastor of the Danish
Church of Denmark
The Evangelical-Lutheran Church in Denmark or National Church ( , or unofficially ; ), sometimes called the Church of Denmark, is the established, state-supported church in Denmark. The supreme secular authority of the church is composed of ...
. At the same time, he worked as a lecturer at the Institute for the History of the Church and Ecclesiastical Archaeology at the
University of Kiel
Kiel University, officially the Christian Albrecht University of Kiel, (, abbreviated CAU, known informally as Christiana Albertina) is a public research university in the city of Kiel, Germany. It was founded in 1665 as the ''Academia Holsator ...
. Weitling founded the Deutsches Museum in Northern Schleswig and from 1986 to 2003 was its Scientific Director.
Weitling wrote and edited a large number of books and treatises, dealing mainly with the history of the Church and the history of the German minority in
Northern Schleswig
Northern may refer to the following:
Geography
* North, a point in direction
* Northern Europe, the northern part or region of Europe
* Northern Highland, a region of Wisconsin, United States
* Northern Province, Sri Lanka
* Northern Range, a ra ...
. In 2000 he was awarded the
Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
The Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (, or , BVO) is the highest state decoration, federal decoration of the Federal Republic of Germany. It may be awarded for any field of endeavor. It was created by the first List of president ...
() 1st Class, Germany's highest civilian honour.
Weitling died in 2024, aged 89.
Notable publications
* 1971: ''Die historischen Voraussetzungen des „Kirchlichen Vereins für Indre Mission in Nordschleswig“ und dessen Verbindung zur reichsdänischen Indre Mission bis zur Jahrhundertwende''. Schriftenreihe I des Vereins für Schleswig-holsteinische Kirchengeschichte SHKG, Band 23, Flensburg
* 1990: ''Die Heimdeutschen - Ursprung, Geschichte und Wesen''. Hrsg. vom Bund Deutscher Nordschleswiger und Deutschen Museum Nordschleswig. Apenrade und Sonderburg,
* 1998: '' Die Geschichte der Kirche in Ost-Jeypore 1924-1964. Beziehungen der Breklumer Mission zu Nordschleswig und Dänemark''. Schriftenreihe des Nordelbischen Missionszentrums, Mission - Ökumene - Weltverantwortung, Band 2, Hamburg
* 2005: ''Fra Ansgar til Kaftan, Sydslesvig i dansk kirkehistorie 800-1920''. Studieafdelingen ved Dansk Centralbibliotek for Sydslesvig, Nr. 51, Flensburg
* 2007: ''Deutsches Kirchenleben in Nordschleswig seit der Volksabstimmung 1920''. Bund Deutscher Nordschleswiger und Archiv/Historische Forschungsstelle der deutschen Volksgruppe in Nordschleswig