Wilhelm Ernst Barkhoff
Wilhelm Ernst Barkhoff | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 26, 1916 Kamp-Lintfort, Germany |
| Died | September 30, 1994 (aged 78) |
| Occupation(s) | Lawyer, banker |
| Known for | Founding anthroposophical banks including GLS Bank; reforming German welfare system; Ethical banking movement |
Wilhelm Ernst Barkhoff (26 June 1916 – 30 September 1994) was a German lawyer renowned for founding anthroposophically inspired alternative banking institutions, most notably the GLS Bank. He played a pivotal role in reforming Germany’s welfare system and was a leading figure within the Ethical banking movement.
Biography
Originating from Kamp-Lintfort, Germany, Barkhoff was raised in the Ruhr region, where early encounters with social upheaval ignited his engagement with social, political, philosophical, and spiritual concepts. He adopted the idea of transubstantiation, extending its application beyond religious contexts into areas such as finance, agriculture, healthcare, and social structures.
He pursued legal studies in Cologne, Freiburg, and Berlin, successfully passing his initial state examination before serving as an officer on the Russian Front during World War II. After sustaining serious injuries, he experienced multiple out-of-body phenomena while returning to Germany.
During the war, he married Ottilie Grave and started a family. In 1948, Barkhoff qualified as a solicitor and established a well-regarded law practice in Bochum. He fostered strong relationships with local artists and became a member of the governing board of the Rudolf Steiner School Ruhrgebiet in 1956. This school challenged prohibitions against new Waldorf schools and evolved into the largest of its kind globally. To finance the institution, Barkhoff introduced the concept of a “borrowing community,” a solidarity-based mechanism that pooled individual funds to secure significant bank loans for those with limited financial means—this initiative became a cornerstone for anthroposophical banking.
His endeavors connected him with prominent anthroposophical collaborators such as Gisela Reuther and Klaus Fintelmann. Together, they initiated credit guarantee communities and laid the groundwork for early anthroposophical banks.
Barkhoff’s financial innovations also supported Special Needs Education through close cooperation with Karl König and the Camphill Movement, as well as projects centered in Wuppertal. He contributed to biodynamic farming by founding Non-profit Agricultural Research Companies designed to prevent hereditary fragmentation of farms. These organizations combined agricultural activities with social objectives including education and community building. Barkhoff provided guidance to leaders like Manfred Klett at the Dottenfelderhof community and assisted in founding approximately one hundred similar initiatives.
Among the key financial institutions he established were the Gemeinnützige Treuhandstelle (1961), Gemeinnützige Kreditgarantie Genossenschaft (1967), and GLS Gemeinschaftsbank (1974). His partnerships with industrialists such as Alfred Rexroth were instrumental in securing essential funding for these projects.
Simultaneously, Barkhoff contributed significantly to German welfare organizations. Beginning in 1961, he served as chairman of the Nordrhein-Westfalen division of the Deutscher Paritätischer Wohlfahrtsverband (German Parity Welfare Association), an organization that had traditionally operated discreetly alongside state and religious groups. Under his leadership, membership increased fivefold by welcoming advocacy groups for parents of children with special needs, women’s rights activists, self-help organizations, unemployed persons’ initiatives, and social benefit recipients. He championed an inclusive association founded on confidence in individual capabilities rather than adherence to a singular ideology. This inclusive approach aligned the Association with societal changes following 1968 and inspired him to develop innovative funding mechanisms such as the Parity Financial Counseling service.
Although Barkhoff stepped down from his business responsibilities in 1981, he continued to engage internationally as a speaker and advisor, particularly across North America, South America, and Scandinavia.
Publications
- Das gefährdete Ich. Der Mensch in der Krise des Erkennens by Hans Börnsen, Wilhelm Ernst Barkhoff, and Gerhard Kienle, published by Freies Geistesleben GmbH in November 1983
- Die Rudolf Steiner Schule Ruhrgebiet authored by Sönke Bai, Wilhelm Ernst Barkhoff, and Michael Bockemühl, released by Rowohlt TB-Verlag, Rnb., in March 1990
- Sozial handeln, aus der Erkenntnis des sozial Ganzen Soziale Dreigliederung heute edited by Reinhard Giese with contributions from Stefan Leber, Wilhelm Schmundt, Peter Schilinski, Wilhelm Ernst Barkhoff, Gerald Häfner, Reinhard Engelen, and Hans Georg Schweppenhäuser; published by Verlag Reinhard Giese, ASIN B002FDGDHY