Hans Joachim Freund, Hale Professor of English Emeritus at Union College, died Saturday, August 24, 2002, after a short illness.
He was born in Cologne, Germany.
Professor Freund has been described by his colleagues as the “true modern Renaissance man” and his teaching was often hailed by his students for its power, range and intensity. He taught a wide range of courses that explored Western cultural in the arts, the classics, and religious studies.
He was born in Cologne, Germany. He became a leading actor in the Max Reinhardt Theatre in Vienna, Austria. A victim of Nazi racial laws, he was forced to flee Germany, Austria, and Czechoslovakia, and came to the United States as a refugee in 1939. He served in the U.S. Army from 1943 to 1946.
He obtained his B.A., M.S., and Ph.D. from Columbia University. He taught at RPI in Troy from 1956 until 1964 when he accepted a professorship at Union College. He retired in 1989. In his retirement years, he became a local farmer and baker of note in Capital District farmer's markets.
He is survived by his wife, Patricia, of Hebron, Washington County; and a sister, Ilse, of Manhattan.
Interment will be at Vale Cemetery in Schenectady and will be private. A memorial service will be held at a later date at Union College.