BIOGRAPHY

Hamm was born in Gießen, Hesse, Germany, on 4 January 1906. She grew up in the town of Homberg an der Ohm. While working as a housekeeper, she met and married Herbert Hamm, and the couple moved to Berlin where they lived during World War II.

In the early 1950s, Hamm’s husband, now a bank manager, found himself under increased political pressure. The couple would flee to West Berlin during the SED dictatorship, eventually settling in Koblenz, a city located in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate. Hamm was widowed in the early 1980s, and remained in Koblenz until the age of 106. She later regretted leaving her piano behind when fleeing East Berlin.

Hamm moved into a residential facility in Biebesheim am Rhein, Hesse. Her nephew and his wife regularly visited her and cared for her. A lifelong dog lover, Hamm enjoyed her time at the facility. As a supercentenarian, she enjoyed reading newspapers and magazines, and keeping abreast of current events. She could walk with the aid of a walker, but would use a wheelchair outdoors.

Hamm died on 1 March 2016 at the age of 110 years, 57 days.

RECOGNITION

On 8 January 2016, four days after attaining supercentenarian status, Hamm may have become Hesse’s oldest inhabitant following the death of 110-year-old Rivka Yezersky, whose age is not validated as of August 2024. Upon her own death, the title passed to Georg Frischkorn (1907 – 2017).

Hamm’s age was verified by Georg Fürholzer and validated by LongeviQuest on 18 August 2024.

ATTRIBUTION

• Elisabeth Hamm feierte am 4. Januar ihren 108. Geburtstag Biebesheim am Rhein
• Rückschau auf ein ereignisreiches Leben Echo, 7 January 2016 (via Archive.today)

GALLERY