On 12 September, 2026, after, UPF Giessen resumed its International Cafe series of life stories.
On the Path to True Love was the title of the talk given by our guest speaker, Erich Groell, who was introduced to the audience of almost thirty by his long-term friend and colleague, Helmut Hoffman. The two first met at a machinery factory in South Korea where they both had worked for several years at a time when that country was undergoing rapid economic development. Both had met and married Korean women.
Erich was born in Trier in 1952. His parents—his father, a Protestant German who had been born in England, and his mother, a Roman Catholic from Bavaria- gave him and his two siblings a carefree childhood
Erich first spoke in greater detail about his grandfather, a passionate musician, a violist, who had even worked with Johannes Brahms and Richard Strauss. He was also an active educator at the University of Marburg, in Wiesbaden, and England, but when WWII broke out his father’s family had to return to Germany and eventually moved to Konz near Trier.
Erich’s parents were not particularly religious—he described them as, “Christians by baptismal certificate.” Nevertheless, they valued religious upbringing, and Erich had to attend church services on Sundays. His parents always made Christmas a particularly beautiful and special occasion, giving him a warm and positive feeling about the celebration. Erich’s mother was an excellent cook and his father a railway enthusiast. He gave Erich a model railway set with which he played enthusiastically, awakening an interest in and talent for technology. This proved to be an early indication of his later professional career as a technician.
Erich also spent a great deal of time in nature and, from an early age, felt very deeply that something or someone was with him. He had many questions about the meaning of life but found no satisfying answers in religious teachings or church services. The pastor’s statement, ‘You simply have to believe’ was not enough for Erich who did not want simply to believe; he also wanted to know. He read Karl May’s books about Native Americans and found the concept of the “Great Spirit” (Manitou) much more appealing than the word “God.”
His first spiritual experience occurred when he was injured by a motorcycle and sensed the presence of Jesus. He recounted another experience from 1962, when, at the age of ten, his parents took him to Trier Cathedral for the “Holy Robe Days”[1], an annual event held in the spring. Erich had an uneasy feeling about going, did not want to attend and was practically “dragged” into the cathedral. The cathedral appeared to him to be very dark and much larger than usual, and the many churchgoers appeared lifeless to him. Then he had a profound experience: he saw a golden ball rolling out from underneath a church pew and beginning to float in the direction of the “Holy Robe.”
Even as a child, Erich noticed that hugging trees made him feel good and would have rather lived in the forest than in a house. He sensed God but was emotionally and spiritually tormented, being unable to understand who God was. Over time, he became rebellious and somewhat aggressive.
Music was always an important part of his life. As a teenager, he formed a band with some friends and was able to release his frustrations and anger on the drums. His father had originally wanted to become a professional musician and singer; but seasonal allergies forced him to become a chemist instead. He was interested exclusively in classical music, strongly disapproving of Erich’s taste for rock music.
One day, Erich played his father the LP Deep Purple – Concerto for Group and Orchestra. His father listened to the classical opening, but when the rock section began, a clash ensued and his father destroyed the record. As a result, Erich left his parents’ home at the age of seventeen and a half.
Erich completed an apprenticeship as a lathe operator and industrial mechanic at a renowned company. This thorough training, and his enjoyment of learning, provided a solid foundation for his later professional career. During his (compulsory) military service in the German Armed Forces, he worked as a weapons mechanic and explosives specialist.
The unresolved questions about the meaning of life repeatedly resurfaced, especially in the monotony of work. There had to be more to life than simply working. Questions such as “Where do I come from?”, “Why was I born?”, “What is the purpose of life?”, “Why do we die?” and “Is there life after death?” deeply troubled Erich and made him increasingly frustrated and aggressive.
He became involved in political circles, but neither the political left (Karl Marx’s writings provoked fear, a strange feeling, and headaches), the Young Socialists, nor the CDU provided satisfying answers for him. With the son of the mayor, he helped establish a youth center in Konz, and Erich even served on its board. Although there were many discussions, none of these political environments could satisfy his deeper questions. This frustrated him greatly.
One day, he went into the forest and cried out to God in desperation. Then Erich heard an inner voice say: “Why are you shouting at me? I am with you!” Erich then promised God: “I will seek You. I will find You.”
One day when she was visiting, his eldest sister noticed that Erich was struggling and invited him to come to Regensburg with her for a change of scenery. Erich accepted the offer and found a room and a job as a maintenance technician at the Hengstenberg company. However, his search for God continued to burn within him like a fire.
Then, one day, while he was sitting in the pedestrian zone observing the people passing by, a young man approached him. Unlike Erich, the young man had short hair and was wearing a tie. He asked Erich a fascinating question: “Do you believe that there is a spiritual world?”
The two of them discussed the question in the street for two or three hours until the young man finally asked Erich if he wanted to accompany him to the community center. He agreed, and once there, sensed that this was the most important turning point in his life. Shortly afterward, he attended a three-week seminar to study the Divine Principle, teachings of Reverend Moon, in depth finding answers to almost all his questions.
Thus in 1975, Erich became a member of the Unification Church (today the Family Federation) in Munich. He enjoyed approaching people on the streets and talking with them about God. In the process, he looked into many “dead” eyes and was happy to see those eyes come alive again through conversations about and with God.
Erich also engaged in missionary work in France and various cities throughout Germany. Then he received a call from the church leadership asking whether he would be interested in going to Korea to work as a technician for a machinery company associated with the church.
Erich met his wife in Korea in 1978; Rev Moon had suggested the ‘match’. He worked hard and coped well with the major challenge of learning the Korean language.
In 1980, he returned to Germany, where he helped prepare the machinery distribution business for Germany and Europe. In 1982, he returned to Korea where he was responsible for quality assurance until 1987. In this time, two of his children were born.
In 1988, he and his family moved to his homeland, Germany, where he eventually established himself permanently and worked for large, renowned companies until his retirement. A third child as born in Germany.
Toward the end of his talk, Erich asked the question: “What would I do differently today?” His answers were: eat less, drink less, and listen more to his parents.
In closing, he expressed an optimistic outlook: always remember that all problems can be overcome.
The couple have now been married for 48 years, and Erich remarked: “What are 48 years, anyway? Our marriage is blessed for eternity.” He emphasized that eternity and God cannot be fully grasped or comprehended, adding: “I am married to the feminine aspect of God.”
[1] https://www.heilig-rock-tage.de/start/
According to tradition, the relic kept in Trier Cathedral is the undivided robe of Jesus Christ.