Grete Fastenrath

BIOGRAPHY

Grete Fastenrath was born in Hagen, North-Rhine Westphalia, Germany, on 18 January 1914. She was the third daughter in a Christian family. Her eldest sister became a deaconess, while her middle sister married and had two children. In 1928, she began a commercial apprenticeship and, over the next few years, changed jobs frequently, working as a secretary across various industries—at a newspaper publisher and at Carl Bechem’s oil factory in Hagen, where she was entrusted with the managing director’s correspondence.

In June 1938, she joined the electricity supplier Elektromark, now known as Mark-E, where she served as secretary to the technical director until her retirement. She worked in the same building that now houses the Hagen Folkwang Museum. She never married and had no children.

At 70, she relocated from Hagen to Horn-Bad Meinberg to enjoy hiking and relaxation. It wasn’t until the age of 90 that she transitioned to a more senior-friendly apartment in Lütgendortmund to be nearer to her great-nieces. She lived there until May 2020, when she moved into a retirement home in Witten, at the age of 106.

Grete Fastenrath passed away in Witten, North-Rhine Westphalia, Germany, on 28 January 2024, at the age of 110 years, 10 days.

RECOGNITION

Her age was verified by Georg Fürholzer, and validated by LongeviQuest on 15 June 2025.

ATTRIBUTION

* “Wittens älteste Bürgerin feiert ihren 108. Geburtstag” – Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung (WAZ), 17 January 2022

* “109 Jahre: Noch nie war eine Frau aus Witten älter” – Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung (WAZ), 18 January 2023

* “110 Jahre! Grete Fastenrath ist der älteste Mensch in Witten” – Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung (WAZ), 18 January 2024

* “Zweitälteste Frau in NRW stirbt kurz nach 110. Geburtstag” – Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung (WAZ), 8 February 2024

GALLERY

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