BIOGRAPHY

Lydia Smuda was born in Remscheid, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, on 6 November 1906. As the daughter of the Berger family, who owned a factory, she grew up in a well-protected environment under a strict upbringing. She had three siblings, two of whom were from her father’s first marriage.

Thanks to her family’s financial stability, she was able to attend boarding school. At 19, she passed her exams to become a kindergarten teacher. She left home to work as a nanny and later as a kindergarten teacher and private tutor. Her background opened doors to prestigious households, allowing her to work for a councilor of commerce and care for the children of Countess Schulenburg-Wolfsburg.

Shortly before the outbreak of World War II, she ran a children’s home in Thuringia, though only for nine months. She was forced to flee abruptly after defying a Nazi officer and slapping him in the face. A pediatrician, who had secretly fled with his wife during the night, warned her of the imminent danger, drove her to the train station, and paid for her ticket.

In 1942, she married Hans Rudolf Smuda in a civil ceremony in Remscheid. Because she was Catholic and he was Protestant, her religious affiliation was not well received by her in-laws. The war brought the couple to Hamburg, where they settled permanently. Her husband, who worked in various restaurants, was exempt from military service due to a chronic kidney disease. He passed away in 1982. The couple had no children.

Around 2013, she moved to Rosenhof. Before that, she lived independently in Winterhude. Even at the age of 105, she was still active, hanging up her freshly washed curtains herself. At 111, she was a resident at the senior residence in Osdorf and was cared for by her longtime doctor, Andreas Soyka, and his wife, Fitnat, who welcomed her as an adoptive grandmother into their family. At 111, despite her advanced age and some health issues, she remained lively and enjoyed outings, including visits to her favorite restaurant.

Lydia Smuda passed away in Hamburg, Germany, on 6 June 2019, at the age of 112 years, 212 days.

RECOGNITION

Smuda’s age was validated by the European Supercentenarian Organisation on 20 January 2020.

ATTRIBUTION

* “Wladimir Klitschkos Besuch bei der alten Dame” – Hamburger Abendblatt, 23 December 2016

* “Ein Jahrhundert-Leben” – Hamburger Abendblatt, 23 January 2018

GALLERY