Robert Muller

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“Prophet - The Hatmaker’s Son is the inspiring, true story of Robert Muller, a man who lived through the atrocities of World War II and then dedicated his life to peace. Gillies brings to vivid life the remarkable achievements and astounding story of this great global citizen.

Prophet is a reminder to every reader why war does not work– and offers a path to a better way.” – Mary Manin Morrissey, author of Building Your Field of Dreams and No Less Than Greatness … people creating a more peaceful world

“Robert Muller has had a very large, positive influence on me. He has a wonderful, global outlook and a loving, kind-hearted attitude of forgiveness and understanding and patience. I have great admiration and respect for him. He’s one of the greatest men to come along in a long time” – Ted Turner, AOL Time-Warner

“Robert Muller has seen our species at our worst and still ebulliently believes in our best. In his presence, you want to rise and rise and rise again to whatever occasion is before you.

He is a global treasure–and so will you be if you let his spirit enter your life. I did … and look what happened!” – Vicki Robin, coauthor of Your Money or Your Life

“When the true history of the Twentieth Century is told, Robert Muller’s name will stand out as one of the greatest world servers of all time. This powerful book is filled with stories and anecdotes that delight as they illumine the path of greatness. He is a spiritual giant as well as a hugely original thinker, and the story of his life is a testament to the glory of the human spirit.” – Jean Houston, PhD, author of Jump Time

Prophet: Now Available! A limited quantity of this inspiring book is now available to readers of this Peace Community Magazine. $10 (includes shipping)

Send check or cash with your address and phone number to: Barbara Muller PO Box 91844 Santa Barbara, CA 93190-1844

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When Robert Mueller was 25, tragedy changed the course of his life. "It was towards the end of World War II," he tells me. "I was part of the French resistance. My company got a message that there was a barracks nearby and which 20 armed German shoulders were hiding. I was the only one who spoke German, so I was assigned to negotiate. They were young men, boys really, frightened and desperate. Through a megaphone I persuaded them to come out. I promised them that we wouldn’t harm them, that they would be safe and sent home in a few days time. They came out and surrendered.”

Muller frowns deeply, and continues in a low voice. "The next day I was informed that they were all dead -- shot by the French resistance.” He crosses his arms, covering the necklaces he got from Pope John Paul II and the Hopi Indians. Then he throws his arms up in the air, “Can you imagine how I felt? They had been betrayed! To this day I still see their faces in front of me.”

Upon hearing the news that they had been killed, Muller ran up the hill and fell to the ground sobbing, repeating to himself, “My God, what have I done? Later when he descended the hill, he was a man with a mission. But how do you work effectively for peace, that was what the young Robert Mueller asked himself as he worked toward his degree in economics at the University of Strasbourg near his family home in the Alsace-Lorraine region of France.

His answer arrived while he was on the train after the end of the war he forgotten to bring anything to read but remember to Poster, announcing that the French Association for the United Nations was offering a prize of 5,000 francs to the best student essay on developing a world government. So he jotted down his thoughts and a few weeks later he was informed he had won the essay contest and was invited to participate as an intern at a meeting of the world Federation of United Nations associations in Geneva.

That was 1948. The internship would mark the beginning of a distinguished 40-year career at the UN, during which Muller coordinated a number of UN agencies, ultimately rising to Assistant SecretaryGeneral, a position he occupied under three consecutive Secretary-Generals.

Ode Magazine, January/February 2006

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… people creating a more peaceful world

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– ODE Magazine, January/February, 2006 13 by Tijn Touber, Photos: Eric Grigorian