Charlotte Kretschmann

German supercentenarian (born 1909)
Charlotte Kretschmann
Born(1909-12-03)3 December 1909
(age 114 years, 260 days)[1]
Breslau, Province of Silesia, German Empire
NationalityGerman
Known forOldest living person in Germany
Spouse(s)Werner Kretschmann
(m. 1936, died 1996)
Children1 (deceased)

Charlotte "Lotte" Kretschmann (born 3 December 1909) is a German supercentenarian and the oldest living person in Germany.[2][3]

Life

Kretschmann was born in Breslau on 3 December 1909.[1] In her childhood she did gymnastics, and remarked that "she got everything she wanted from her parents".[2][4] Kretschmann also said in an interview that she wanted to do what her older brother "was allowed to do" (namely sports). She thus ran 800 meters as a "discipline" which earned her a gold pin from the sports authorities.[4] In addition to her parents and older brother she also had grandparents who lived on a farm in Pomerania.[5] Kretschmann (27 at the time) met her husband Werner during a dance at a sporting event (c.1936).[4] During that same year they were married and in 1937 had a daughter named Siegried.[6] During World War II, her husband was drafted into the army and sent to the front line in France.[1] While Kretschmann stayed behind in their hometown she was forced to flee in 1944 with her daughter to Stuttgart.[1] The Red Cross "facilitated the couple’s reunion" after the war ended and the family of 3 settled there.[6][7] Kretschmann's husband died in 1996, and her daughter Siegried died in 2019.[1][4]

On 3 December 2019 Kretschmann turned 110 years old and lived alone until 2014 when she experienced a brain hemorrhage.[2] While this health scare prompted her to move into a nursing home in Kirchheim unter Teck, she has been noted by doctors for her relatively remarkable health given her age.[4][8] Kretschmann has an Instagram account where she keeps a photo diary of her life.[9] She eventually became the oldest living person in Germany at the age of 112, and her age was verified by the Gerontology Research Group on 23 August 2023.[1] She is the oldest person to ever reside in Germany.[7][10]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f "Charlotte Kretschmann". Gerontology Research Group. Retrieved 2023-12-30.
  2. ^ a b c "'I still have a lot to see': Meet the oldest living German at 113-years old". The Local. 2023-04-23. Retrieved 2023-12-30.
  3. ^ Keck, Christine (2023-01-27). "(S+) Charlotte Kretschmann ist 113 Jahre alt: »Ans Sterben denke ich nicht, ich habe ja noch Zeit«". Der Spiegel (in German). ISSN 2195-1349. Retrieved 2023-12-30.
  4. ^ a b c d e Mihai, Eva-Marie; Kaa, Tatjana (2023-04-25). "Mit 113 Jahren die älteste Deutsche: "Ich würde alles genauso machen"". Bild (in German). Retrieved 2023-12-30.
  5. ^ Mezger, Martin (2023-01-01). "Altersrekord in Kirchheim: Charlotte Kretschmann ist 113 – und die älteste Deutsche". Eßlinger Zeitung [de] (in German). Retrieved 2023-12-30.
  6. ^ a b Südwestrundfunk (2016-04-26). "Charlotte Kretschmann lebte schon, als noch der Kaiser regierte". YouTube (Video) (in German). Retrieved 2023-12-30.
  7. ^ a b Salaysay, Lennard Ashley (2023-12-05). "Charlotte Kretschmann, Germany's Oldest Person, Turned 114". LongeviQuest. Retrieved 2023-12-30.
  8. ^ "Kirchheimerin feiert ihren 112. Geburtstag - Kirchheim". Der Teckbote (in German). 2021-06-12. Retrieved 2023-12-30.
  9. ^ "Charlotte Kretschmann ist die älteste Frau Deutschlands". Stuttgarter Nachrichten (in German). 2023-09-07. Retrieved 2023-12-30.
  10. ^ "Charlotte Kretschmann, Germany's Longevity Record Holder, Validated at 114". LongeviQuest. 2023-12-22. Retrieved 2024-01-30.
  • Charlotte Kretschmann on Instagram