2006年10月17日晚，浙江省人民大会堂灯光璀璨，高朋满座，浙江省友协成立50周年庆典在此举行。当外宾代表讲话时，只见一位身材高大、满头银发、具有学者风度的外宾走上台来，热情地说：人在地球各处的存在这个事实告诉我们，应该加强友好交流。这位外宾代表就是德国东方文化研究所负责人、德中友好协会会长波尔教授。
　　次日，记者在林木蓊郁的花家山宾馆采访波尔会长。握手后我第一句话便是“波尔会长昨天的讲话很精彩”。他一笑，机敏地回答：“我把讲话的时间缩短，把读书的时间增加。”这一开场白使得采访的气氛轻松而融洽。当问及他与东方文化的结缘时，波尔手捧他著的《孔子》一书，侃侃而谈：“我曾在德国大学学哲学，也学数学和文学，当时我想到世界各地人民碰到的问题有共同点，从此我就在关注西方的同时把研究的目光转向东方，研究东方人民是怎样提升自己的方法论和中国人的方法论有什么先进性。”
　　说到这里，我请他谈谈如何研究中国文化。他不假思索地说：“在德国大学哲学系是没有东方文化专业的，我是靠自学的。我有一个私人图书馆，里面有我搜集来的多种中国书籍，我每天在自己的图书馆里学东方文化，研究孔孟思想。”说着，他手指《孔子》一书封面上的孔子像说：“孔孟思想对日本有很大影响，这张孔子像是中国赠给日本一所大学的，我将它搜集来做封面。这本书由德中友好协会出版，没有偏见地介绍儒家思想，传递东方信息，启迪欧洲人对东方文化的兴趣。这本书出版后销售一空，说明东方文化在欧洲颇受欢迎。”
　　说起德中友好协会举办的文化交流活动，波尔会长娓娓而谈：“除了出版，德中友好协会还搞论坛和讲座，曾举办过中日关系、中国妇女问题等讲座，在去年举行的中国教育推介会上，还请中国驻德大使讲话。有时讲座也讲些德国听众感兴趣的话题，如《西游记》。有的德国企业要求组织观看中国武术和舞龙，这样的活动德中友好协会也搞，但我以为搞讲座和论坛信息量更大。”
　　从1985年起，波尔每年都来中国一次，对中国情有独钟，他说每次来都感到中国变化大，发展速度快。这次在浙江杭州，他先后去了南宋皇城遗址公园和中国丝绸博物馆，还沿着西湖仔细观赏一番，整个心灵完全被吸引住了。他说太美了，这是“一种有灵魂的美”。许多景观的建筑物都是新的，景点是美的，这些建筑物和景点都有历史文化的灵魂，杭州把美景和历史信息一并展现给中外游客，杭州做得真好。
　　
　　Gregot Paul: German Scholar of Confucianism
　　By Zhao Zheng, our staff reporter
　　On the evening of October 17, 2006, a grand banquet was held at the Great Hall of the People of Zhejiang Province in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Zhejiang People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries. Professor Gregot Paul, director of the German Oriental Cultures Research Institute and president of the Germany-China Friendship Association, spoke on behalf of the foreign guests present at the banquet. “The fact that all the people share the whole earth tells us that we should strengthen friendly exchanges,” he remarked.
　　I met with the professor the next day at Huajiashan Hotel on the West Lake. I began by commenting on his brilliant speech at the banquet the night before and he said he had deliberately made the speech short so that he could find more time to read. We smiled and the conversation became free and harmonious. When asked how he began to study the oriental cultures, he explained that he studied philosophy in a French university and then studied mathematics and literature. The studies enabled him to see the similarities shared by West and East. He began to learn how the peoples in the East enhanced their methodological theories and how advanced, in particular, the Chinese methodology was. Now, the professor loves oriental classics.
　　I asked him to comment on his Chinese studies. The professor observed that philosophy departments in German universities did not offer studies of the oriental cultures. He is a self-made Orientalist. Now he has built a private library with a collection of books on China, where he carries out his daily studies on Confucius and Mencius.
　　Professor Gregot Paul proceeded to explain the book he had written, a copy of which was in his hand when we talked. The book has a Confucius portrait as the frontpiece in the title page. Published by the German-China Friendship Association, it introduces Confucianism without bias and imparts oriental messages to the Europeans. This book was a best seller.
　　
　　When talking about cultural exchange activities between Germany and China, the president said that, in addition to publications, the association also holds forums and lectures at regular intervals. For example, the association has held forums on the Sino-Japan relations and the issues of Chinese women. Some forums were organized to offer insight into the special aspects of the Chinese culture that interest the German people. For example, a forum was held on the Journey to the West, a classic Chinese novel. On a few occasions, the association had organized martial arts and lion dancing shows. The president said: “I personally prefer forums to other activities, because they offer more detailed and concrete information on China.”
　　Since 1985, Professor Gregot Paul has been able to pay an annual visit to China. He has witnessed the fast development and tremendous changes in the great oriental country. During this latest visit, he had visited the Southern Song Dynasty Palace Site Park and the China Silk Museum in Hangzhou and took a tour around the West Lake. He expressed his total fascination for the beautiful scenery and new architecture around the lake. He commented: “This beauty comes from the soul, from which one can look into the history and culture of the ancient city Hangzhou.”
　　(Translated by David)