LongeviQuest is delighted to announce that Germany’s oldest person ever turned 114 years old. Charlotte Kretschmann celebrated her milestone surrounded by friends and family on 3 December 2023. She holds the record as the oldest person ever to have resided in Germany.
Charlotte Kretschmann’s 114th birthday celebration
(Source: https://www.instagram.com/p/C0ZdW0Kr_d2/)
Charlotte Kretschmann was born in Wrocław, Lower Silesian Voivodeship, Poland (then German Empire) on 3 December 1909. She developed a passion for athletics during her youth. Through her involvement in an athletics club, she met her future husband. They married and had a daughter. With the outbreak of World War II, her husband was deployed to France as a soldier, while Kretschmann sought refuge westward with their daughter. Following the war’s end, the Red Cross facilitated the couple’s reunion, and they settled in Stuttgart.
Kretschmann maintained her independence well into her centennial years. However, in 2014, after suffering a cerebral hemorrhage, she transitioned to a nursing home. Despite her advanced age, Kretschmann remained an avid reader, enjoyed a glass of red wine with her meals, and had a sweet tooth for chocolate. She attributes her longevity to a combination of vigorous exercise (even during winter) and a happy childhood.
Kretschmann became the oldest living person in Germany on 18 September 2022, following the death of 113-year-old Anna Cernohorsky. On 8 February 2023, following the death of Maria Aulenbacher of South Carolina, USA, Kretschmann became the oldest living German person in the world. On 8 August 2023, she surpassed the final age of Josefine Ollmann, becoming the oldest person to ever live in Germany.
For more information, please view Kretschmann’s Directory Profile here.
