Enlightenment in the 21st century
Psychologist (M.Sc.), gbs managing director
Elke Held was born in Cologne in 1967. Despite growing up liberal, she experienced a Catholic education at an Ursuline boarding school – which led her to question religious beliefs even more rigorously. After graduating from high school she spent a year au-pairing in Paris and then studied psychology at the University of Trier.
Human rights activist, chairwoman of the Central Council of Ex-Muslims
Mina Ahadi, born in 1956 in Abhar (Iran), studied medicine at the University of Tabriz and was active in the left-wing opposition against the Shah. When the revolution in Iran failed, Islamists seized power, and Khomeini imposed compulsory headscarves, Mina Ahadi organized protests and demonstrations.
Philosophy undergraduate, gbs university group representative
Florian Chefai was born in Neunkirchen/Saar in 1991. After graduating from high school he completed his compulsory civilian service in a municipal clinic, and is currently studying philosophy and sociology at the University of Trier. His main interests include questions of ethics, the philosophy of mind, and criticism of religion and ideology.
Master carpenter, gbs regional group coordinator
David Farago, born in 1980 in Budapest, was the fifth of six siblings. His pregnant mother fled to Munich with him and his older brother. He grew up in an orphanage in Munich until 1989; afterwards he lived with religious foster parents in Miltenberg in Lower Franconia. This is where he discovered that God cannot be logically proven and turned away from faith.
Physicist, consultant for science and philosophy
Helmut Fink, born in 1965 in Nuremberg, studied physics at the Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg and is a graduate physicist. He was chairman of the Humanistische Verband HVD Bayern (1999-2015), vice president of the Humanistische Akademie Bayern (2009-2016), and executive committee member of the federal HVD association (2006-2017). He is also one of the founding members of the Gesellschaft für kritische Philosophie (Society for Critical Philosophy) in Nuremberg and co-founder of the Erlebnismuseum (adventure museum) turmdersinne in Nuremberg. Since the end of 2012 he is also chairman of the Koordinierungsrates säkularer Organisationen (KORSO - Coordination Council of Secular Organizations).
Photographer, gbs photo editor
Evelin Frerk, a post-war child (born 1947 in Hamburg), remained unaffected by religious doctrine. Up to the age of 30 she worked as a training instructor in the well-paid Hamburg publishing industry.
Administrator of the gbs internal forum
Andreas Leber was born in 1967 in Constance. After graduating from high school he completed his studies in computer engineering and today works as an entrepreneur (information technology) for the automotive industry. As a supporting member of the gbs he is involved in the Bodensee regional group and gbs Switzerland. Furthermore, he maintains the blog glaubst-du-noch.de.
Website editor and gbs regional group coordinator
Luisa Lenneper was born in Siegen in 1993. After a year abroad in Canada she graduated from high school in 2013, studied sociology and philosophy at the University of Trier, and is now pursuing a graduate degree in Social Research. She and a member of the gbs regional group Trier (Evolutionären Humanisten Trier - Evolutionary Humanists Trier) and as such involved in many projects of the association. Since March 2015 she has supported the foundation as regional group coordinator.
gbs secretariat, event management
Judith Liesenfeld was born in 1972 in Cochem. After graduating from high school she majored in Japanese studies and business administration. Since 2008 the mother of three has worked in the executive administration of the Giordano Bruno Stiftung, where she is responsible for membership and event management.
Project management, public relations
Nicolai Sprekels was born in Augsburg in 1984 and graduated from high school in Berlin. He worked as a project assistant in the events department of the Representation of the State of Rhineland-Palatinate to the Federal Government and the European Union and was an employee in the office of the German parliament member Dr. Matthias Miersch. He has been active in the secular scene for several years and is a board member of the Evolutionäre Humanisten Berlin-Brandenburg (EHBB - Evolutionary Humanists Berlin-Brandenburg).