Sarah Coyle, Ireland’s Oldest Resident, Dies at 108
Sarah Coyle, Ireland’s Oldest Resident, Dies at 108
Texas Resident Annie Hopkins Celebrates 111th Birthday
Texas Resident Annie Hopkins Celebrates 111th Birthday
American Woman Edith Renfrow Smith Turns 111
American Woman Edith Renfrow Smith Turns 111
Spanish Woman Ascensión Capilla Rodríguez Turns 111
Spanish Woman Ascensión Capilla Rodríguez Turns 111
Chester Meros, Maryland’s Oldest Man, Turns 110
Chester Meros, Maryland’s Oldest Man, Turns 110
previous arrow
next arrow
Translate:

Supercentenarian Profile

Gertrud Paulat

Born:

May 18, 1915
Kaliningrad Oblast

Current Residence:

Monzernheim, Rhineland-Palatinate

Gertrud Paulat is a German supercentenarian.

BIOGRAPHY

Gertrud Paulat was born in East Prussia (now Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia) on 18 May 1915. Three months before the end of World War II, Gertrud was forced to flee her home near what was then Königsberg (now Kaliningrad). In the chaos, she tragically lost her five-year-old daughter and barely managed to reach Danzig. There, she narrowly missed boarding the MV Wilhelm Gustloff, a ship evacuating German civilians. However, missing the ship saved her life—it was sunk shortly afterward in the Baltic Sea.

Upon arriving in Travemünde, Gertrud found herself caught in an air raid. The first bunker she reached was already full. Desperate, she made it to a second one just in time. It proved to be a life-saving move—the first bunker was struck during the raid. After spending several years in East Frisia, Gertrud eventually settled in Rheinhessen in 1950. She found work at the Geil winery in Monzernheim, which became her new home.

RECOGNITION

Her age has not been validated.

ATTRIBUTION

GALLERY

[crp limit=’4′ ]