Bridge between the Terrestrial and the Beyond
- Theory and Practice of Transcommunication -
by Hildegard Schaefer (†)

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1. Friedrich Juergenson  

Friedrich Juergenson is said to be the “father” or “eldest” of transcommunication. He called himself the “herald of immortality”.

Though it is quite known that experiments in this direction have been made in earlier times already, it is without any doubt that the merit of having been the first to catch the voices systematically, to leave them on record, to file these records in an archive, and to make them known to the public is due to him.

It was in 1915, when people first heard that voices of deceased could be heard via electro-magnetic waves. The English newspaper Light published a report on it. It is however unknown, if experiments have been undertaken; in view of the technical insufficiencies of that time it may hardly have been the case. In 1956 people spoke of voice recording experiments performed by Raymond Bayless and Attila Szalay, but not either on these documents are available. The same applies to the alleged experiments by Thomas Alva Edison.

The situation is different with Friedrich Juergenson. In the course of time, innumerable articles have been written and interviews made about his life, and on the history of the research on voice recordings so closely interlaced with his life. Beginning in 1959 and up to the time of his death, Juergenson had been intensely active in this field which had become the concern of his life during these twenty-eight years.  The media having dealt a great lot and extensively with this extraordinary personality, as well as with the results of his research, it would mean carrying coals to Newcastle if I would repeat here each detail of his richly faceted life.

Besides, he himself has described his life situations in his book Sprechfunk mit Verstorbenen  (radiotelephony with deceased). Who could better describe his life than he himself ?

Nevertheless, for all those who as yet know little or nothing about Friedrich Juergenson’s existence, I will note down his life data in a telegraphic style and chronological manner.

Friedrich Juergenson was born on February 8, 1903 in Odessa as the son of a gynaecologist. Since in his parental home they spoke Russian, Esthonian and German, he grow up with three languages, so that right on from his childhood, his talent for languages was promoted, a talent very helpful to him later when he made polyglot recordings. Since he developped particular talent in the fields of singing and painting, his parents enabled him doing studies in singing and at a school of arts.

The revolution in Russia made it necessary for the Juergenson family to move to Esthonia.
In 1932 Juergenson went to Palestina, where he continued his studies in painting and singing in Tel Aviv. He earned the necessary financial means by painting portraits and making decorations.
From 1935 to 1938, Juergenson continued his singing studies in Milano, where a career as an opera singer was developing. But due to a wearisome respiratory disease he had to give up his profession as a singer.

At the outbreak of the second world war in 1939, Juergenson returned to Esthonia, but then had to change domicile again due to the occupation of Esthonia by the Soviets. Now Juergenson settled down in Stockholm , Sweden .

In 1949 began his second career. He was the only painter who was given the permission to paint in St. Peter’s Dome in Rome . And he was awarded the order to eternize the city of graves underneath the crypt in form of a painting.  During four months he could paint in the vault to which nobody had access except of him. Finally he painted four portraits of pope Pius XII. All the paintings have been hung in the Vatican .

In 1959, Juergenson heard the first voices on magnetic tape. The following years he worked in silence till he had become sure about the origin of the voices. In 1963 he invited journalists from all over the world to the first international press conference. Through this event – and further press conferences – the tape-recorded voices became known worldwide.

In the years from 1967 to 1969, Juergenson was engaged in excavations in Pompeji and filmed a documentary on these. With further TV films he made, he wan high reputation as a production director, too. This refers to a total of eight films, among these Verfall von Pompeji (the decline of Pompeji), Vogelmord in Italien (Bird Murdering in Italy ), Das Petrusgrab (St. Peter’s Grave), and Blutwunder des heiligen Januarius (The blood miracle of St. Januarius). The latter of these wan a prize in Cannes .

The pope, who always had strictly declined being filmed, gave Juergenson the permission to make a film on him. After the world premiere of Alle wollen den Papst sehen (All want to see the Pope) the “Commendatore di San Gregorio Magno” order of knighthood was bestowed on him.

In 1967 Juergenson’s book Sprechfunk mit Verstorbenen (Radiotelephony with deceased - "Voice transmissions with the Deceased") was published. It showed millions of people the way to tape-recorded voices. The book is still available in book shops (Goldmann Verlag, Munich ).

From 1970 onwards, Juergenson devoted to the research on tape-recorded voices and gave lectures in America , England , Sweden , Italy , Germany and Switzerland .

In 1975, he left his country-seat Nysund for then living in Hoeoer in the south of Sweden , where he welcomed many visitors coming from all over the world, journalists, broadcasting and television people, as well as scientists.

From about 1980 till 1986, Juergenson worked on a film showing a cross-section of his life and work, particularly his research work. This film is considered to be more or less his legacy. It was first shown on the occasion of the OARCA meeting in Munich in May 1987.

On October 15, 1987 Friedrich Juergenson embarked upon the world with which he had been so closely associated for many years already.   

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