Fr. Franz Giet, SVD

Fr. Franz Giet, SVD was born on February 21, 1902 in Dalheim, Southwestern Germany. In 1915, when he was 13, he entered Divine Word Minor Seminary. After graduating from high school in 1923, he entered SVD Novitiate in Vienna. Two years later he professed the first vows, and in 1930 he was ordained priest together with other 40 classmates.

The next year, in 1931 he was assigned to China. He spent the first year in SVD Mission house in Jining, Taichia Chuang to learn Chinese, then helped as assistant parish priest in Dongming County. During Japanese War, Fr. Giet was assigned with the task to take care of refugees, and taught in elementary and junior high schools. After the war in 1945, he was transferred to Beijing, to teach in Fu Jen High School, and was also assigned as supervisor of student dormitory. During these time he showed great interest in the Northern Dialect. Two years later, he was sent to study in Bonn University, and made a research for his disertation on the Northern Dialect. He obtained his doctorate in 1950.

Because of Communist takeover, he could no longer return to China. Thus he was assinged to Nanzan University in Nagoya, Japan, and set up first ever Language Intership in Japan. In 1963, after the reestablishment of Fu Jen University in Taipei, Taiwan, he was invited to teach in Fu Jen. Here too, he again set up the first ever Language Internship in Taiwan, and thaught German in the Department of Foreign Languages.

In 1984 he was given a special award (木鐸獎)by the Ministry of Education of the Republic of China for his outstanding contributions in education. In 1989 he was also awarded with a special medal which expressed the highest honor by German Prime Minister. From 1965 to 1987 Fr. Giet was in charge as the director of German Theater Performances.

In 1992 he was struck by stroke, and was hospitalized both in Changgeng and Cardinal Tien Hospitals. After 5 months of struggles with sickness, he died on Spetember 18, 1993 at the age of 91.