List of German supercentenarians

This is a list of German supercentenarians (people from Germany who have attained the age of at least 110 years). Until now there have been 49 verified supercentenarians from Germany.^[1] The oldest person ever from Germany is Augusta Holtz, who died in the USA in 1986 aged 115 years 79 days. The oldest person ever to be born and die in Germany was Maria Laqua who died aged 112 years and 362 days.

As of 6 May 2016, there are 7 living supercentenarians in Germany. The oldest of them is Gustav Gerneth, age 110 years, 204 days.

Living German supercentenarians

There are currently seven reported living German supercentenarians.

Rank	Name	Sex	Birth date	Age as of 6 May 2016	State of birth	State of residence
	Gustav Gerneth[2]	M	15 October 1905	110 years, 204 days	Prussia (Pomerania)	Saxony-Anhalt
	Hildegard Henke[3]	F	4 November 1905	110 years, 184 days	Prussia (Rhine Province)	North Rhine-Westphalia
	Edelgard Huber von Gersdorff[4]	F	7 December 1905	110 years, 151 days	Reuß jüngerer Linie	Baden-Württemberg
	Pauline Raißle[5][6]	F	16 December 1905	110 years, 142 days	Württemberg	Baden-Württemberg
	Elisabeth Hamm[7]	F	4 January 1906	110 years, 123 days	Hesse	Hesse
	Therese Fenners[8]	F	8 March 1906	110 years, 59 days	Prussia (Rhine Province)	North Rhine-Westphalia
	Helene Wentzel[9]	F	11 April 1906	110 years, 25 days	Prussia (East Prussia)[lower-alpha 1]	Lower Saxony

1. Wentzel was born in Königsberg, which had then been a part of the German Empire; it is now Kaliningrad and located in Russia.

Living German emigrant supercentenarians

There is currently one verified and one unverified living German supercentenarians. Entries for people who are verified are rendered in italics.

Rank	Name	Sex	Birth date	Age as of 6 May 2016	State of birth	Country of residence
1	Luzia Mohrs[10]	F	23 March 1904	112 years, 44 days	Prussia (Rhine Province)	Living in Brazil as Sister Maria Electis
	Katherine Bodenbender[11]	F	19 April 1905	111 years, 17 days	Prussia (Hesse-Nassau)	Living in USA

German supercentenarians

Rank	Name	Sex	Birth date	Death date	Age	State or Country of birth	State of death
1	Maria Laqua[12]	F	12 February 1889	9 February 2002	112 years, 362 days	Prussia (Rhine Province)	Rhineland-Palatinate
2	Frieda Szwillus[1]	F	30 March 1902	21 September 2014	112 years, 175 days	Anhalt	Saxony
3	Gertrud Henze[1]	F	8 December 1901	22 April 2014	112 years, 135 days	Prussia (Pomerania)	Lower Saxony
4	Meta Berndt[12]	F	9 November 1889	28 December 2001	112 years, 49 days	Prussia (Pomerania)[lower-alpha 1]	North Rhine-Westphalia
5	Johanna Klink[1]	F	17 January 1903	20 February 2015	112 years, 34 days	Prussia (Silesia)[lower-alpha 2]	Saxony
6	Irmgard von Stephani[13]	F	20 September 1895	5 October 2007	112 years, 15 days	Prussia (Hesse-Nassau)	Berlin
7	Lina Zimmer[12]	F	20 November 1892	28 August 2004	111 years, 282 days	Württemberg	Baden-Württemberg
8	Hermann Dörnemann[12]	M	27 May 1893	2 March 2005	111 years, 279 days	Prussia (Rhine Province)	North Rhine-Westphalia
9	Charlotte Klamroth[1]	F	18 August 1903	16 May 2015	111 years, 271 days	Prussia (Saxony)	Rhineland-Palatinate
10	Magdalene Regener[12]	F	5 March 1891	19 November 2002	111 years, 259 days	Prussia (Hesse-Nassau)	Lower Saxony
11	Elisabeth Heck[12]	F	11 July 1893	3 February 2005	111 years, 207 days	Baden	Hesse
12	Paula Baumgärtner[14]	F	16 August 1881	24 February 1993	111 years, 192 days	Prussia (Westphalia)	Baden-Württemberg
13	Margarete Ottmann[1]	F	23 February 1903	17 August 2014	111 years, 175 days	Prussia (Silesia)[lower-alpha 3]	Bavaria
14	Elisabeth Schneider[1]	F	19 August 1901	9 February 2013	111 years, 174 days	Prussia (Westphalia)	Lower Saxony
15	Rosa Rose[1]	F	4 December 1903	25 April 2015	111 years, 142 days	Prussia (Hanover)	Lower Saxony
16	Karolina Krüger[1]	F	17 February 1885	3 July 1996	111 years, 137 days	Prussia (Rhine Province)	North Rhine-Westphalia
17	Katharina Braun[15]	F	23 September 1867	5 February 1979	111 years, 135 days	Bavaria (Palatinate)	Rhineland-Palatinate
18	Anna Stephan[12]	F	25 March 1892	3 August 2003	111 years, 131 days	Bohemia[lower-alpha 4]	Bavaria
19	Elsa Tauser[13]	F	10 July 1896	6 October 2007	111 years, 88 days	Hamburg	Schleswig-Holstein
20	Bertha Lindemann[15]	F	11 March 1891	29 May 2002	111 years, 79 days	Brunswick	Lower Saxony
21	Else Aßmann[1]	F	18 February 1902	15 February 2013	110 years, 363 days	Prussia (Brandenburg)	Berlin
22	Aloysia Tilscher[12]	F	9 December 1893	8 November 2004	110 years, 335 days	Moravia[lower-alpha 5]	Bavaria
23	Frieda Schmidt[16]	F	15 December 1899	6 November 2010	110 years, 326 days	Prussia (Brandenburg)	Brandenburg
24	Berta Zeisler[16]	F	2 February 1900	1 December 2010	110 years, 302 days	Lorraine[lower-alpha 6]	Rhineland-Palatinate
25	Gisela Metreweli[17]	F	10 October 1893	31 July 2004	110 years, 295 days	Bavaria	Bavaria
26	Marie Stutz[13]	F	22 October 1896	11 August 2007	110 years, 293 days	Hesse	Bavaria
27	Frieda Müller[12]	F	18 October 1894	21 July 2005	110 years, 276 days	Prussia (Brandenburg)	Brandenburg
28	Pauline Spyra[15]	F	24 April 1886	11 January 1997	110 years, 262 days	Prussia (Silesia)[lower-alpha 7]	Bavaria
29	Frieda Tessmer[18]	F	5 August 1897	28 March 2008	110 years, 236 days	Prussia (Brandenburg)	Berlin
30	Clothilde Rey[12]	F	20 November 1892	9 July 2003	110 years, 231 days	Prussia (Rhine Province)	North Rhine-Westphalia
31	Erna Scharfenberg[12]	F	26 June 1894	26 January 2005	110 years, 214 days	Hamburg	Schleswig-Holstein
32	Mathilde Stoellger[19]	F	21 April 1893	16 November 2003	110 years, 209 days	Prussia (Rhine Province)	North Rhine-Westphalia
33	Karolina Gröber[20]	F	27 April 1901	21 November 2011	110 years, 208 days	Bavaria	Bavaria
34	Friedrich Wedeking[15]	M	10 October 1862	5 May 1973	110 years, 207 days	Lippe	North Rhine-Westphalia
35	Maria Corba[12]	F	15 August 1878	8 March 1989	110 years, 205 days	Banat[lower-alpha 8]	North Rhine-Westphalia
36	Charlotte Bauch[20]	F	12 October 1900	2 May 2011	110 years, 202 days	Saxony	Bavaria
37	Arno Wagner[12]	M	4 June 1894	22 December 2004	110 years, 201 days	Saxony	Saxony
38	Franziska Umrath[21]	F	5 September 1885	18 February 1996	110 years, 166 days	Prussia (West Prussia)[lower-alpha 9]	Hamburg
39	Johanne Rasmus[13]	F	25 October 1896	25 March 2007	110 years, 151 days	Prussia (Hanover)	Lower Saxony
	Maria Volmer[1]	F	8 June 1890	6 November 2000	110 years, 151 days	Prussia (Westphalia)	North Rhine-Westphalia
41	Helene Heidbreder[13]	F	19 May 1897	8 October 2007	110 years, 142 days	Prussia (Westphalia)	Lower Saxony
42	Emma Joisten[18]	F	21 June 1898	8 November 2008	110 years, 140 days	Prussia (Hesse-Nassau)	North Rhine-Westphalia
43	Johanne Wilks[15]	F	8 February 1893	23 June 2003	110 years, 135 days	Oldenburg	Lower Saxony
44	Ella Ille Rentel[22]	F	19 May 1852	19 September 1962	110 years, 123 days	Russia[lower-alpha 10]	North Rhine-Westphalia
	Lina von Veh[18]	F	17 February 1898	19 June 2008	110 years, 123 days	Russia[lower-alpha 11]	Bavaria
46	Maria Schmitz[12]	F	27 August 1886	22 October 1996	110 years, 56 days	Prussia (Rhine Province)	North Rhine-Westphalia
47	Wilhelm Schorner[15]	M	3 February 1889	29 March 1999	110 years, 54 days	Bavaria	Bavaria
48	Franziska Maier[18]	F	23 April 1898	20 May 2008	110 years, 27 days	Bohemia[lower-alpha 12]	Saxony-Anhalt
49	Irene Mergelsberg[12]	F	4 March 1893	6 March 2003	110 years, 2 days	Hesse	Hesse

1. Berndt was born in Kaffzig, which had then been a part of the German Empire; it is now Kawcze and located in Poland.
2. Klink was born in Siemianowitz, which was then part of the German Empire. It is now Siemianowice Śląskie in Poland.
3. Ottmann was born in Bauerwitz, which was then part of the German Empire. It is now Baborów in Poland.
4. Stephan was born in Bohemia, which was then part of the Austrian part of Austria-Hungary. It is now in the Czech Republic.
5. Tilscher was born in Moravia, which was then part of the Austrian part of Austria-Hungary. It is now in the Czech Republic.
6. Zeisler was born in Lorraine, which was then part of the German Empire. It is now in France.
7. Spyra was born in Wendzin, which was then part of the German Empire. It is now Wędzina in Poland.
8. Corba was born in Izgar, which was then part of the Hungarian part of Austria-Hungary. It is now in Romania.
9. Umrath was born in Danzig, which was then part of the German Empire; it is now Gdańsk and located in Poland.
10. Rentel was born in Geldauschinken, which was then part of the Russian Empire. It is now in Lithuania.
11. von Veh was born in a part of the Russian Empire. It is now in Russia.
12. Maier was born in Bohemia, which was then part of the Austrian part of Austria-Hungary. It is now in the Czech Republic.

German emigrant supercentenarians

Entries for people who are living are rendered in italics.

Rank	Name	Sex	Birth date	Death date	Age	State of birth	Country of death
1	Augusta Holtz[23]	F	3 August 1871	21 October 1986	115 years, 79 days	Prussia (Posen)[lower-alpha 1]	United States
2	Charlotte Benkner[12]	F	16 November 1889	14 May 2004	114 years, 180 days	Saxony	United States
3	Adelheid Kirschbaum[12]	F	29 September 1883	21 December 1996	113 years, 83 days	Prussia (Rhine Province)	United States
4	Rosa Rein[16]	F	24 March 1897	14 February 2010	112 years, 327 days	Prussia (Silesia)[lower-alpha 2]	Switzerland
5	Marguerite Petit[24]	F	5 July 1883	21 December 1995	112 years, 171 days	Lorraine[lower-alpha 3]	France
6	Berta Rosenberg[25]	F	5 September 1896	28 January 2009	112 years, 145 days	Prussia (Hesse-Nassau)	United States
7	Luzia Mohrs[1]	F	23 March 1904	Living	112 years, 44 days	Prussia (Rhine Province)	Brazil
8	Helen Johnson[18]	F	20 July 1896	17 April 2008	111 years, 272 days	Prussia (Berlin)	United States
9	Catherine Trompeter[12]	F	26 March 1895	18 November 2006	111 years, 237 days	Alsace[lower-alpha 4]	France
10	Johanna Frank[12]	F	15 September 1875	24 November 1986	111 years, 70 days	Hamburg	United States
11	Carl Berner[1]	M	27 January 1902	7 January 2013	110 years, 346 days	Württemberg	United States
12	Caroline Dott[16]	F	5 February 1900	8 August 2010	110 years, 184 days	Alsace[lower-alpha 5]	France
13	Else Hessberg[19]	F	5 December 1892	12 April 2003	110 years, 128 days	Prussia (Hesse-Nassau)	United States
14	John Mauch[12]	M	24 December 1888	7 March 1999	110 years, 73 days	Württemberg	United States
15	Giovanna Meyer-Zettel[12]	F	6 December 1896	12 January 2007	110 years, 37 days	Alsace[lower-alpha 6]	Italy
16	Wilhelmine Gnueg[17]	F	12 March 1894	17 April 2004	110 years, 36 days	Prussia (Hesse-Nassau)	United States
17	Mathilde Bonzo-Wrede[12]	F	29 May 1890	8 June 2000	110 years, 10 days	Prussia (Westphalia)	Switzerland

1. Holtz was born in Czarnikau, which was then part of the German Empire; it is now Czarnków and located in Poland.
2. Rein was born in Myslowitz, which was then part of the German Empire; it is now Mysłowice and located in Poland.
3. Petit was born in Lorraine, which was then part of the German Empire. It is now in France.
4. Trompeter was born in Alsace, which was then part of the German Empire. It is now in France.
5. Dott was born in Alsace, which was then part of the German Empire. It is now in France.
6. Meyer-Zettel was born in Alsace, which was then part of the German Empire. It is now in France.

People

Friedrich Wedeking

Karl Friedrich Wedeking (10 October 1862 – 5 May 1973) was one of the first German supercentenarians. He was born in Blomberg and died in Dortmund. He was one of the founding members of the gliders club, which was started in 1931 and is still active in Blomberg today.^[26]

He was the oldest living man from 21 March 1968, following the death of John Mosely Turner, until Wedeking's death at age 110 years, 207 days. Wedeking was succeeded as world's oldest living man by Frederick Butterfield.^[27]

Adelheid Kirschbaum

Adelheid Kirschbaum (29 September 1883 – 21 December 1996) was the oldest person born in Germany ever before Charlotte Benkner; before her Katharina Braun was the record holder. She was born in Neuwied and died in New York. Kirschbaum also was the oldest Jewish person ever before Goldie Steinberg and Evelyn Kozak.^[28]

Maria Laqua

Maria Laqua (12 February 1889 – 9 February 2002) was a German supercentenarian who is the oldest person ever to be born and die in Germany.

Maria Laqua was born in 1889 in Rheydt-Odenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, as one of 13 children. She worked as housemaid, married and gave birth to two children in the 1920s. Her husband Charles died in 1958. Their both sons fell in the Second World War. Laqua lived for 35 years in a retirement home in Bad Hönningen, Rhineland-Palatinate and died in her sleep, three days before her 113th birthday. She was only survived by a great-niece who attended her regularly. It was reported that Laqua was in need of care, bedridden and not accessible during her last years. Nevertheless there were also good days when Maria Laqua had a flash and spoke. During a visit of a bishop for example, she had spoken at once and told a lot.^[29]

Anna Stephan

Anna Stephan (25 March 1892 – 3 August 2003) was a German supercentenarian who was born in Altenteich, Bohemia as one of 12 children. Stephan married twice and gave birth to four daughters. In 1945, the Sudeten German family was evicted from their home. With 50 kilogram of luggage, Anna Stephan fled with her husband and children to Neumarkt in der Oberpfalz, Germany. After the Second World War, she went into the forest every day to gather wood and she also knitted and patched farmer’s clothes so that her family got something to eat. Anna Stephan lived on her own until the age of 106 and died in a retirement home in Neumarkt in der Oberpfalz nearly 5 months after her 111th birthday. She was outlived by three daughters, nine grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren and 13 great-great-grandchildren.^[30][31]

Frieda Schmidt

Frieda Schmidt (15 December 1899 – 6 November 2010) was a German supercentenarian who was the oldest person in Germany from the death of Zhenya Broytman on 25 October 2010 until her death on 6 November 2010 at the age of 110 years and 326 days. Schmidt was born in Bergsdorf, a district of Zehdenick, Brandenburg, where she also died. According to a newspaper she had once worked as a service maid for Philip, Prince of Eulenburg. During her life she lost her only husband in 1951 and two daughters. Frieda Schmidt spent her last years in her daughter’s home and busied herself with needlework. At the time of her death she had eight grandchildren, thirteen great-grandchildren, four great-great-grandchildren and one great-great-great-grandchild. Also a sister of Schmidt was living in Berlin.^[32][33][34]

Karolina Gröber

Karolina Gröber (27 April 1901 – 21 November 2011) was a German supercentenarian who was the oldest person in Germany from the death of Charlotte Bauch on 2 May 2011 until her own death on 21 November 2011 at the age of 110 years and 208 days. Gröber was born in Lechhausen, which became a part of Augsburg, Bavaria, in 1913, where she spent most of her lifetime. In 1906 she met Louis III who visited Augsburg for the celebration of its incorporation into the Kingdom of Bavaria 100 years previously in 1806. Gröber began a dressmaking apprenticeship before World War I but did not graduate because it was not possible to acquire material and also to sell clothes. She married in 1927 and gave birth to one daughter ten years later. Gröber was in good health until her 100th birthday in 2001. Then she had two hip fractures she never recovered from. Gröber suffered also from dementia. She spent the last years of her life in poor health in a nursing home in Augsburg where she died.^[35][36]

Elisabeth Schneider

Elisabeth Schneider (19 August 1901 – 9 February 2013) was a German supercentenarian who was the oldest person in Germany from the death of Karolina Gröber on November 21, 2011 until her own death on 9 February 2013 at the age of 111 years and 174 days. She was born in Bad Oeynhausen, North Rhine-Westphalia, in 1901 and had two sisters. She married in 1923 and gave birth to a daughter two years later. Schneider lived on her own until the age of 97. At her 111th birthday she was asked for the secret of her longevity as the oldest living German supercentenarian and replied laughing that others just would have given up gasping for breath. On 9 February 2013, she died in a retirement home in Varel, Lower Saxony. Schneider was outlived by her daughter, two grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.^[37][38]

Gertrud Henze

Gertrud Henze (8 December 1901 – 22 April 2014) was a German supercentenarian who had been the oldest living person in Germany from the death of Elisabeth Schneider on 9 February 2013 until her death on 22 April 2014. The former librarian was born on Rügen and never got married or gave birth to a child. She was still in good condition and lived in a retirement home in Göttingen since 1993 where she was well-liked by many residents for her open and life-affirming attitude. Henze traced her longevity to reading a lot, having lively contact with other people, enjoying sometimes a cigarette and a glass of wine and never marry. She celebrated her 112th birthday only with some friends and relatives because the public interest in consequence of her birthday the year before was too exhausting. She enjoyed reading, even with the help of a magnifying glass. Nevertheless of physical limitations Henze was able to walk with the help of a walking frame to meet acquaintances and friends for having a chat. Henze died on 22 April 2014 at the age of 112 years and 135 days. She bequeath her body for genetic research to science.^[39][40][41]

Frieda Szwillus

Frieda Szwillus, née Hennig, (30 March 1902 – 21 September 2014^[42]) was a German supercentenarian who had been Germany's oldest living person from 22 April 2014 until her death 5 months later, aged 112 years, 175 days. In 1902 she was born in Dessau, today in Saxony-Anhalt, as Frieda Hennig and had 6 siblings of whom three reached almost 100. In 1908 she and her family moved to Erla. Szwillus was married two times, raised one biological and three step-children and outlived all of them. Frieda Szwillus has always lived modestly and sparingly. One reason for this might be that she worked for less money in a hosiery mill.

At the end of 2011 Szwillus was bedridden for some weeks but recovered. Until recently, she was living at home in Raschau with her family and she needs no medicine. Mrs. Szwillus was in a good physical but not mental condition in consequence of suffering from dementia. Szwillus’ family traced her longevity to having a lively family life. She often visited her siblings but never went on vacation. Furthermore Szwillus was only physically active during her youth. She also enjoyed knitting and embroidering. She died on 21 September 2014 at age 112 years and 175 days.^[43][44][45]

References

1. Validated living supercentenarians The Gerontology Research Group lists persons as living whose age has been validated and confirmed to be alive within the past year.
2. "Ältester Deutscher feiert 110. Geburtstag". 15 October 2015.
3. "Monschauerin feiert 110. Geburtstag". 4 November 2015.
4. "Karlsruherin feiert 110. Geburtstag". 7 December 2015.
5. "Im Herzen und Kopf jung geblieben". 17 December 2014.
6. "Der Club der 110-jährigen Damen". 12 December 2015.
7. "Rückschau auf ein ereignisreiches Leben". 5 January 2016.
8. "Therese Fenners feiert 110. Geburtstag". 8 March 2016.
9. http://www.goslarsche.de/lokales/oberharz_artikel,-Helene-Wentzel-feierte-ihren-110-Geburtstag-_arid,1209473.html
10. "Supercentenarian Data -- Table E". Gerontology Research Group. 1 September 2015. Retrieved 2 September 2015.
11. "At 110, Katie Bodenbender's days are filled with prayer, music and laughter". April 23, 2015.
12. Supercentenarians who lived in Germany
13. GRG Deaths in 2007
14. GRG Oldest People in 1994
15. GRG Table B2
16. GRG Deaths in 2010
17. GRG Deaths in 2004
18. GRG Deaths in 2008
19. GRG Deaths in 2003
20. GRG Deaths in 2011
21. GRG Deaths in 1996
22. World's Oldest Person Titleholders since 1955
23. "GRG Table C (2012) - World's Oldest Person Titleholders (since 1955)". GRG. Retrieved 6 September 2015.
24. "Verified Supercentenarian France - Chronology". GRG. 2 May 2007. Retrieved 6 September 2015.
25. GRG Deaths in 2009
26. Einen guten Rotwein bis zum letzten Tag
27. "Table M - World's Oldest Men (WOM) Titleholders Since 1973". grg.org. Retrieved 2015-10-07.
28. "World’s Oldest Living Jew Dies at 113". 19 June 2013.
29. "Älteste Frau Deutschlands gestorben". 12 February 2002.
30. "111 Jahre: Anna Stephan ist die älteste Deutsche". 25 March 2002.
31. "Älteste Deutsche stirbt mit 111 Jahren". 4 August 2003.
32. 16 December 2009 (outdated, September 2014).
33. "Ein Jahrhundertleben: Älteste Brandenburgerin wird 110". 15 December 2009.
34. "Älteste Brandenburgerin mit 110 Jahren gestorben". 9 November 2010.
35. "Karolina Gröber wird heute 110 Jahre alt". 26 April 2011.
36. "Älteste Augsburgerin gestorben". 23 November 2011.
37. "Varelerin hat mit 110 Jahren stets ein Gedicht parat". 19 August 2012.
38. "Älteste Einwohnerin mit 111 Jahren gestorben". 11 March 2013.
39. "Gertrud Henze feiert 111. Geburtstag". 7 December 2012.
40. "Sonntag wird sie 112: Göttingerin Gertrud Henze ist die älteste Deutsche". 7 December 2013.
41. "Gertrud Henze war wohl älteste Deutsche". 22 April 2014.
42. "Älteste Frau Deutschlands tot: Erzgebirgerin wurde 112 Jahre alt". 24 September 2014.
43. "Oma Frieda braucht ihren Trubel". 30 March 2011.
44. "Sachsens ältester Mensch wird heute 110 Jahre alt". 30 March 2012.
45. "Sachsens älteste Bürgerin wird morgen 112 Jahre alt". 29 March 2014.