Aland, Kurt: - Kurt Aland (1915-1994) escaped from the German Democratic Republic in 1958. The following year he became Professor of Church History and New Testament Textual Criticism at Muenster, where he founded the Institute for New Testament Textual Research. World-renowned for his work in textual criticism, Aland also served as co-editor of Eberhard and Erwin Nestle's 'Novum Testamentum graece' and was a member of the editorial committee of the 'Greek New Testament'.