BIOGRAPHY

Edelgard Huber von Gersdorff was born in Gera, Thuringia, Germany, on 7 December 1905, to parents Franz Erdmann von Gersdorff (1866–1927) and Elsa (1882–1945). In 1914, she moved to Karlsruhe. When she was nine years old, her father was drafted as an officer in the First World War, prompting her mother to relocate to Karlsruhe with their two children, Edelgard and Helga. Her mother’s family originally came from Karlsruhe. She contracted polio at the age of 22, spending several years bedridden before slowly and painstakingly learning to walk again. Nevertheless, she completed her law studies and went on to work for many years as a legal advisor at a bank.

Her husband, Walther Huber (1902–1987) — whom she met at the age of 14 — was “the first man she ever addressed informally.” According to her, he had to propose three times before she finally agreed to marry him. Walther was a lawyer who once worked for a housing association. At one point, they even climbed Mount Etna together. After the end of World War II, she moved into an apartment in Karlsruhe’s Nordweststadt district. She was widowed in 1987. The couple had no children.

In her later years, it was reported that she used a wheelchair, had severely impaired vision, and struggled with hearing loss.

Edelgard Huber von Gersdorff passed away in Karlsruhe, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, on 9 April 2018, at the age of 112 years, 123 days.

RECOGNITION

On 27 September 2016, following the passing of 110-year-old Hildegard Henke, she became the oldest living woman in Germany. Upon her own passing, she was succeeded by Therese Fenners.

At the time of her passing, she was the second-oldest living person in Germany, after Gustav Gerneth.

Huber von Gersdorff’s age was validated by the ESO on 20 January 2020.

ATTRIBUTION

* Edelgard Huber-von Gersdorff – Wikipedia

* “Über 100 Jahre Leichtigkeit” – Bürgerverein Karlsruhe Nordstadt

* “Älteste Karlsruherin” – Stadt Zeitung. 13 December 2013

* “Karlsruherin feiert 110. Geburtstag” – Südwest Presse. 7 December 2015

* “Karlsruherin feiert 111. Geburtstag” – Focus online. 7 December 2016

* “Älteste Frau Deutschlands gestorben” – SWR Aktuell, 10 April 2018

GALLERY