The obituary below was provided by Danny Chahbouni, Research Associate, Point Alpha Foundation.

Geisa. The former director of Point Alpha Foundation, Volker Bausch, passed away on June 25, 2019 in his hometown of Chemnitz after a serious illness. After working as a teacher in Bürstadt, Viernheim and in the foreign school service in Chile, he coordinated since 1996 the construction of schools and training centers in Afghanistan and Turkmenistan. He was always a bridge builder and was committed to the encounter of students of different cultures.

From 2011 to 2016, Volker Bausch was Director of the Point Alpha Foundation and Managing Director of the Point Alpha Academy. During his time in office, the contacts and collaborations with the U.S. Army, the Blackhorse Association, Association of the United States Army, Goethe-Institute, and the DMZ Museum in Gangwon (South Korea) were established or intensified.

Even after his retirement as the foundation’s director, he stayed connected and acted as an expert adviser to improve exhibitions and organize events, such as the 10th birthday of Point Alpha Foundation in the last year, and, the opening ceremony for the exhibition “Everyday Life” in September 2017.

In his hometown of Chemnitz, Volker was committed to transforming the former Stasi-Prison at Kaeßberg into a site of historical learning and memorial for the communist repression in the GDR.

With Volker Bausch, Point Alpha loses a committed champion for democracy and international understanding. The foundation will honor Volker to the highest degree.

A date for the memorial service is not yet known.

In addition to the items mentioned above, Volker was the driving force behind creating a named scholarship for the Blackhorse Association in the name of the Point Alpha Foundation. He sponsored a tour of the United States to educate young people and others of the impact of the Cold War on Germany and the role that the Blackhorse played in the defense of the West. He was a staunch supporter and friend of the Blackhorse Association and will be sorely missed. Our heartfelt prayers and thanks go out to his family and associates.

As just a few examples of the projects and work championed by the Point Alpha Foundation and Volker Bausch, please see these previous editions of our E-News.

opens in a new windowMarch 2019: “An Interesting Website on the Cold War”

opens in a new windowMarch 2018: “Request for Assistance in Cold War Education Project”

opens in a new windowOctober 2017:”In Another Part of Germany and Another Former OP: Exhibition Showcasing Cold War Life at Fulda Gap Opens”

opens in a new windowJune 2017: “An Interesting Short History of the East-West German Border”

In recognition of Volker Bausch’s contribution to the Regiment, he was made an Honorary Member of the Regiment and was presented with the certificate below (original was signed).