BIOGRAPHY

Wesser was born in the village of Gladitz, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany on 14 August 1911. Her parents lived to be 90 and 95 years old respectively. Throughout her adult life, she worked as a seamstress. She and her husband had no children.

Wesser was widowed in the 1980s, and spent lots of time walking around her local area. She never smoked nor drank alcohol. In 1997, Wesser moved into an assisted living facility in Zeitz, Saxony-Anhalt. Seven years later, in December 2004, she relocated into another care home nearby.

At the age of 104, she suffered a fall and a subsequent knee injury, and relied on a wheelchair from that time. In her centenarian years, she enjoyed reading the newspaper and watching old German films. Her nephew, Wilfried Kolla, supported her in her later years, and was 81 at the time of his aunt’s 109th birthday.

Wesser died on 26 February 2022 at the age of 110 years, 196 days.

RECOGNITION

Following the death of 109-year-old Gertrud Thurau on New Year’s Eve 2019, Wesser became Saxony-Anhalt’s oldest resident. Upon her death, the title passed to Charlotte Brink, then aged 107.

Wesser’s age was verified by Georg Fürholzer and validated by LongeviQuest on 11 August 2024.

ATTRIBUTION

• Hilda Wesser: Wie die älteste Zeitzerin ihren Geburtstag begeht Mitteldeutsche Zeitung, 15 August 2016
• Älteste Zeitzerin : 107-Jährige weiß, warum sie so viele Jahre sammeln konnte Mitteldeutsche Zeitung, 15 August 2018
• Zeitzerin ist ältester Mensch in Sachsen-Anhalt: “Tante Hilda hat noch Power” Mitteldeutsche Zeitung, 15 August 2020
• Älteste Sachsen-Anhalterin kommt aus Zeitz Mitteldeutsche Zeitung, 14 August 2021

GALLERY