BIOGRAPHY

Josefine Ollmann was born in Munich, Kingdom of Bavaria, German Empire (an area which is now Bavaria, Germany) on 11 November 1908, as the eldest of two children born to her parents. Her father’s job as an engineer required the family to move frequently, leading to Ollmann spending some of her childhood in the Netherlands. On the day she celebrated her 10th birthday, an armistice was signed between the Germans and the Allies, officially ending World War I.

After graduating from high school, she attended university in Wittenberg, where her grades placed her at the top of her class. Upon getting her degree, she began an apprenticeship as a laboratory technician, where she worked for the Kaiser Wilhelm Society. In 1939, she married a lawyer, and went on to have a son and daughter together. After World War II ended, the family moved from from Greifswald to Kellinghusen.

Ollmann lived in her own home until she was 107, and wrote in a diary and played scrabble as a centenarian. In her later years, she resided in a nursing home.

Josefine Ollmann passed away on 16 July 2022 in Itzehoe, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, at the age of 113 years, 247 days. She was survived by four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

RECOGNITION

Her age was verified by Georg Fürholzer, and validated by LongeviQuest on 5 July 2024.

ATTRIBUTION

* “Josefine Ollmann aus Itzehoe wird 111 Jahre alt” – Norddeutsche Rundschau, 10 November 2019

* “Josefine Ollmann aus Itzehoe wird am 11. November 113 Jahre alt” – Norddeutsche Rundschau, 11 November 2021

* “Mit 113 Jahren: Josefine Ollmann stirbt in Itzehoer Pflegeeinrichtung” – Norddeutsche Rundschau, 25 July 2022

GALLERY