Hubert was born on the 29th October 1943 at Langseifersdorf in Silesia. He did not know his carpenter father reported missing during the war. After the war, Silesia became an integral part of Poland and the Germans living there became foreigners. Hubert and his mother decided to seek refuge in the Federal Republic of Germany. For the first few years, the family lived in Heiden in Lower Saxony where Hubert did the first four years of primary school. Then the family moved to Spreglingen near Frankfurt.
Hubert entered the Junior Seminary of the White Fathers in Rietberg in 1954. He then moved on to the White Father’s school in Grosskrotzenburg in 1959 for the final years of his secondary schooling. He successfully passed the ‘Abitur’ in 1964. He then went on to study Philosophy in Trier from 1964 to 1966. He joined the novitiate in Hörstel in 1967. The Master of Novices saw him as a sincere candidate, maybe a bit nervous as was seen in his way of speaking and acting. His generous availability would stand him in good stead in his future life as a missionary. After the novitiate, he was appointed to Heverlee for Theology. However, he asked for a period of time outside the White Fathers because, as he observed, he had spent all his life in White Father schools and he had never got the opportunity to grow up and take responsibility for his life. His request was granted and Hubert studied Theology at the University of Tübingen for one year.
His stay in Tübingen was very satisfactory from all points of view. He matured and took a certain liking for studies. In 1969, he asked to rejoin the White Fathers. He was appointed to the Foyer of the White Fathers on Rue de Reims in Strasbourg as Heverlee was due to close in 1970. At the University, he was able to register immediately in the 2nd year of the 2nd cycle, which corresponded to the 3rd year of Theology in the classical seminary set-up. Strasbourg University was reconstituted as a German University in 1872 when, after the Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871), Alsace became part of Germany (1871-1918). When Alsace returned to France in 1918, the University kept its organization and special status within the French Republic.
Hubert took his Missionary Oath in Strasbourg on the 7th December 1970 and he was ordained priest at Mainz Cathedral on the 10th July 1971. He left for Kalemie in Zaire (now the DRC) on the 8th September 1971. After studying the language in Bukavu, he served in Lubuye, Kalemie and Kala as curate. In 1977, he became Parish Priest of Kala. He was to serve in this part of Africa until 1999 when he was appointed to Munich in Germany. He joined a team that was looking after the French speaking parish of the city and the surrounding areas. For many years, Hubert was also a member of the Provincial Councils of SE Zaire (1992), Germany (2000) and Central Africa which regrouped Burundi, Congo and Rwanda (Sector Superior 2011). He did the Session/Retreat in Jerusalem in 2005 (March-June).
He returned to Laybo in the DRC as Parish Priest in November 2005. Then in 2007, he moved to Kindu continuing his pastoral work in the Congo. These years of missionary commitment in the Congo and Munich had left their mark. He returned to Germany for five months in 2015 for medical examinations. The doctors prescribed a prolonged period of rest. However Hubert returned to the Congo. The confreres observed very quickly that he was very weak; he had no strength, nor had he the ability to carry out regular work or keep the confreres informed of current affairs. On the 27th May 2016, he died the day before he was due to be repatriated to Germany for medical treatment.
At his funeral in Kindu, the Christians testified that Hubert was a priest easy to approach and always available to listen to people’s worries big and small.
Hans Vöcking, M.Afr.