ABSTRACT
Wilhelm is an 80-year-old German physician spending his last years quietly
in an old university town (see Table A.1 for details on the study participants).
His lifestyle contrasts sharply with popular images of successful retirement-a
modest home, a preference for reading, music, and conversation. This thoughtful
man does not mention golf, travel, or his financial portfolio. As his wife prepares
coffee, he greets his visitors warmly, gazing off into a past that only he can see.
“I am a witness of time,” he says. He sees many things, in fact: World War II,
the Communist occupation of East Germany, and above all, the intersection of
his medical vocation and faith.
