Studenthood

Studied Law, political science and economics in Greifswald, Berlin and Oxford
October 1908 he was awarded for a scholarship from the German Emperor Wilhelm II. for Cecil – Rhodes scholarship and studied from 1908 - 1910 in Oxford Economics and political science, he made in Oxford his Diploma in Economics, he was a member of Brasenose College/ 1910 - 1912 he studied in Berlin and Greifswald.
Military service 1. April 1912–13. a voluntary year in the Army of Grand Duke Mecklenburg Gren. Rgt. 89. Juli 1913 he finished his vocal examination of the Dissertation in the war year. 2. August 1914 he was in the battlefield in front of Russia as a second Lieutenant. Since duration of his studies he was a member of Corps Pomerania Greifswald later as well Corps Saxonia Göttingen (there he was with his friends from Oxford (Cecil Rhodes Scholarship) like Adam von Trott zu Solz and Fritz-Dietlof Graf von der Schulenburg, AndreasTheodor Albrecht Graf von Bernstorff In Oxford Bernstorff attached numerous friendship: To his fellow students belonged Adolf Marschall of Bieberstein, the son of the German ambassador in Constantinople, Alexander von Grunelius, an Alsatian aristocrat and also later diplomat, Harald Mandt, later businessman and also Rhodes scholarship holder, and the Briton, Mark Neven du Mont] Schulenburg, Bernstorff and Trott zu Solz were leaders of the German Resistance, who were executed for their part in the bomb plot that failed to kill Hitler on the 20. July 1944)

German Rhodes Scholars warmly thank Thomas and Silvia Böcking

1 December 2010

Thomas and Silvia Böcking

The largest ever gathering of German Rhodes Scholars, at a Rhodes dinner in Munich on Friday, has celebrated the 40th anniversary of the reinstatement of the German Rhodes Scholarships, and warmly thanked Thomas and Silvia Böcking for outstanding service to the Rhodes Scholarships during Thomas’s tenure as German National Secretary from 1979 to 2010.

In his tribute to them, the Warden of Rhodes House, Dr Donald Markwell, said that Thomas, in agreeing to serve as national secretary in 1979, had written to the then Warden, Sir Edgar Williams, of his and Silvia’s gratitude for the ‘very happy’ and ‘formative’ time they had spent in Oxford when Thomas was there as a Rhodes Scholar. Thomas (Germany & University College 1970) and Lippold von Klencke (Germany & St John’s 1970) had been elected as the first German Rhodes Scholars after the Scholarships for Germany were reinstituted in 1969, for 1970.

Dr Markwell spoke of the importance of the Rhodes Scholarships in promoting international understanding, and of the many ways in which German Rhodes Scholars since 1903 have ‘served and serve their country and the wider world with distinction’. He cited as one instance Professor Sir Fritz Caspari (Germany & St John’s 1933), who is living in London at the age of 96; a video interview with Sir Fritz about his remarkable life will appear on this website soon.

Dr Markwell also welcomed the most recent German Rhodes Scholars, who had been elected just hours before – Katharina Behr and Timo Kauer – and spoke of the enthusiasm of several German Scholars to have further alumni activities.

For the Warden’s speech, please click here.

In reply, Thomas Böcking spoke, also with deep gratitude, of working with six Wardens and eight chairmen of selection committees in his 31 years as national secretary, and how much he and Silvia appreciated the ‘constant opportunity to meet outstanding young people and to help them realize their potential’.  Many of those outstanding young people were at the dinner as Rhodes Scholars, and showed their great appreciation to Thomas and Silvia with a prolonged standing ovation at the conclusion of Thomas’s remarks.

For Thomas Böcking’s speech, please click here.

Ambassador Peter von Butler, who at Thomas’s invitation had served for several years as chairman of the German selection committee, spoke of his pleasure at serving the Scholarships and becoming part of the Rhodes community, his gratitude to Thomas and Silvia for their superb efforts, and his confidence and hope for the future.

Lippold von Klencke spoke of the Oxford which he and Thomas had entered in 1970 as German Scholars, including how he had been introduced to his future wife by an American Rhodes Scholar, and of the qualities, including of intellect and character, shared by outstanding German Scholars, such as Harald Mandt, E F Schumacher, and William Koelle. He spoke of the widow of Adam von Trott, who was executed in 1944 for his role in resistance to Hitler. 

Lippold von Klencke spoke for all in saying to Thomas and Silvia Böcking that ‘your extraordinary efforts will not be forgotten’, and in welcoming Professor Hannes Unberath (Germany & Worcester 1997) to be the new German National Secretary.