, the

Gerontology Research Group The Gerontology Research Group (GRG) based in Los Angeles, California, USA, is a global social science organization of researchers in various fields of gerontology, primarily concerned with verifying and recording supercentenarians status (peop ...

(GRG) had validated the longevity claims of 59 German citizens who have become " supercentenarians", attaining or surpassing 110 years of age. 49 of these were German residents and 10 were emigrants. There are currently six Germans known to be alive over age 110. The oldest of them is Maria Aulenbacher, born 7 November 1909 in Hesse-Nassau, aged and living in the United States. Augusta Holtz, an emigrant to the United States, remains the oldest German citizen whose age has been verified: she lived 115 years, 79 days, from 1871 to 1986.

100 oldest Germans

, align=center , F , 8 March 1906 , 23 June 2018 , 112 years, 107 days , Rhineland , North Rhine-Westphalia , - , 22 , data-sort-value="Traenkner" , Elisabeth Tränkner , align=center , F , 11 August 1906 , 7 November 2018 , , Hesse-Nassau , Baden-Württemberg , - , 23 , data-sort-value="Berndt" , Meta Berndt , align=center , F , 9 November 1889 , 28 December 2001 , 112 years, 49 days , Pomerania , North Rhine-Westphalia , - , 24 , data-sort-value="Hasse" , Asta Hasse , align=center , F , 25 November 1909 , 1 January 2022 , 112 years, 37 days , Pomerania ,

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and List of cities in Germany by population, largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's List of cities in the European Union by population within ci ...

, - , 25 , data-sort-value="Klink" , Johanna Klink , align=center , F , 17 January 1903 , 20 February 2015 , 112 years, 34 days , Silesia , Saxony , - , 26 , data-sort-value="von Stephani" , Irmgard von Stephani , align=center , F , 20 September 1895 , 5 October 2007 , 112 years, 15 days , Hesse-Nassau , Berlin , - , 27 , data-sort-value="Bodenbender" , Katherine Bodenbender , align=center , F , 19 April 1905 , 16 April 2017 , 111 years, 362 days , Hesse-Nassau , United States , -style="background:#9f9;" , style="background:#f9f9f9;", 28 , data-sort-value="Brosig" , Erna Brosig , align=center , F , 15 January 1911 , Living , , Silesia , Lower Saxony , - , 29 , data-sort-value="Hagemeyer" , Katharina Hagemeyer , align=center , F , 4 August 1908 , 12 July 2020 , 111 years, 343 days , Rhineland , North Rhine-Westphalia , - , 30 , data-sort-value="Rodenstein" , Adele Rodenstein , align=center , F , 3 September 1908 , 18 July 2020 , 111 years, 319 days , Rhineland , North Rhine-Westphalia , - , 31 , data-sort-value="Kuepper" , Anna Küpper , align=center , F , 29 December 1908 , 18 October 2020 , 111 years, 294 days , Rhineland , Rhineland-Palatinate , - , 32 , data-sort-value="Zimmer" , Lina Zimmer , align=center , F , 20 November 1892 , 28 August 2004 , 111 years, 282 days ,

Württemberg Württemberg ( ; ) is a historical German territory roughly corresponding to the cultural and linguistic region of Swabia. The main town of the region is Stuttgart. Together with Baden and Hohenzollern, two other historical territories, Württ ...

, Baden-Württemberg , - , 33 , data-sort-value="Doernemann" , Hermann Dörnemann , align=center , M , 27 May 1893 , 2 March 2005 , 111 years, 279 days , Rhineland , North Rhine-Westphalia , - , 34 , data-sort-value="Johnson" , Helen Johnson , align=center , F , 20 July 1896 , 17 April 2008 , 111 years, 272 days ,

Brandenburg Brandenburg (; nds, Brannenborg; dsb, Bramborska ) is a state in the northeast of Germany bordering the states of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Saxony, as well as the country of Poland. With an area of 29,480 sq ...

, United States , - , 35 , data-sort-value="Klamroth" , Charlotte Klamroth , align=center , F , 18 August 1903 , 16 May 2015 , 111 years, 271 days ,

Prussian Saxony The Province of Saxony (german: link=no, Provinz Sachsen), also known as Prussian Saxony () was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia and later the Free State of Prussia from 1816 until 1944. Its capital was Magdeburg. It was formed by the merge ...

, Rhineland-Palatinate , - , 36 , data-sort-value="Regener" , Magdalene Regener , align=center , F , 5 March 1891 , 19 November 2002 , 111 years, 259 days , Hesse-Nassau , Lower Saxony , - , 37 , data-sort-value="Raissle" , Pauline Raißle , align=center , F , 16 December 1905 , 29 August 2017 , 111 years, 256 days , Württemberg , Baden-Württemberg , - , 38 , data-sort-value="Trompeter" , Catherine Trompeter , align=center , F , 26 March 1895 , 18 November 2006 , 111 years, 237 days ,

Alsace Alsace (, ; ; Low Alemannic German/ gsw-FR, Elsàss ; german: Elsass ; la, Alsatia) is a cultural region and a territorial collectivity in eastern France, on the west bank of the upper Rhine next to Germany and Switzerland. In 2020, it had ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

, - , 39 , data-sort-value="Heck" , Elisabeth Heck , align=center , F , 11 July 1893 , 3 February 2005 , 111 years, 207 days , Baden ,

Hesse Hesse (, , ) or Hessia (, ; german: Hessen ), officially the State of Hessen (german: links=no, Land Hessen), is a state in Germany. Its capital city is Wiesbaden, and the largest urban area is Frankfurt. Two other major historic cities are Dar ...

, - , 40 , data-sort-value="Baumgaertner" , Paula Baumgärtner , align=center , F , 16 August 1881 , 24 February 1993 , 111 years, 192 days ,

Westphalia Westphalia (; german: Westfalen ; nds, Westfalen ) is a region of northwestern Germany and one of the three historic parts of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It has an area of and 7.9 million inhabitants. The territory of the regio ...

, Baden-Württemberg , - , 41 , data-sort-value="Ziegenhagel" , Adele Ziegenhagel , align=center , F , 12 July 1906 , 10 January 2018 , 111 years, 182 days , (unknown) , Rhineland-Palatinate , - , rowspan=2, 42 , data-sort-value="Ottmann" , Margarete Ottmann , align=center , F , 23 February 1903 , 17 August 2014 , rowspan=2, 111 years, 175 days , Silesia ,

Bavaria Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total lan ...

, - , data-sort-value="Beck" , Ilse Beck , align=center , F , 5 October 1906 , 29 March 2018 , Saxony ,

Thuringia Thuringia (; german: Thüringen ), officially the Free State of Thuringia ( ), is a state of central Germany, covering , the sixth smallest of the sixteen German states. It has a population of about 2.1 million. Erfurt is the capital and lar ...

, - , 44 , data-sort-value="Schneider, Elizabeth" , Elisabeth Schneider , align=center , F , 19 August 1901 , 9 February 2013 , 111 years, 174 days , Westphalia , Lower Saxony , - , 45 , data-sort-value="Borchert" , Frieda Borchert , align=center , F , 5 January 1897 , 22 June 2008 , 111 years, 169 days , Pomerania , Berlin , - , 46 , data-sort-value="Mehlberg" , Anna Mehlberg , align=center , F , 2 December 1906 , 16 May 2018 , 111 years, 165 days , Brandenburg , Berlin , - , 47 , data-sort-value="Rose" , Rosa Rose , align=center , F , 4 December 1903 , 25 April 2015 , 111 years, 142 days ,

Hanover Hanover (; german: Hannover ; nds, Hannober) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Lower Saxony. Its 535,932 (2021) inhabitants make it the 13th-largest city in Germany as well as the fourth-largest city in Northern Germany ...

, Lower Saxony , - , 48 , data-sort-value="Krueger" , Karolina Krüger , align=center , F , 17 February 1885 , 3 July 1996 , 111 years, 137 days , Rhineland , North Rhine-Westphalia , - , 49 , data-sort-value="Braun" , Katharina Braun , align=center , F , 23 September 1867 , 5 February 1979 , 111 years, 135 days , Bavaria ( Palatinate) , Rhineland-Palatinate , - , 50 , data-sort-value="Stephan" , Anna Stephan , align=center , F , 25 March 1892 , 3 August 2003 , 111 years, 131 days , Bohemia , Bavaria , - , 51 , data-sort-value="Braun" , Anna Braun , align=center , F , 5 July 1911 , 29 October 2022 , , (unknown) , Brandenburg , - , 52 , data-sort-value="Matthiesen" , Anne Matthiesen
(née Jensen) , align=center , F , 26 November 1884 , 19 March 1996 , ,

Schleswig-Holstein Schleswig-Holstein (; da, Slesvig-Holsten; nds, Sleswig-Holsteen; frr, Slaswik-Holstiinj) is the northernmost of the 16 states of Germany, comprising most of the historical duchy of Holstein and the southern part of the former Duchy of Sc ...

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark , establish ...

, - , 53 , data-sort-value="Tauser" , Elsa Tauser , align=center , F , 10 July 1896 , 6 October 2007 , 111 years, 88 days , Hamburg , Schleswig-Holstein , - , 54 , data-sort-value="Lindemann" , Bertha Lindemann , align=center , F , 11 March 1891 , 29 May 2002 , 111 years, 79 days , Brunswick , Lower Saxony , - , 55 , data-sort-value="Frank" , Johanna Frank , align=center , F , 15 September 1875 , 24 November 1986 , 111 years, 70 days , Hamburg , United States , - , 56 , data-sort-value="Logemann" , Käthe 'Katie'
Logemann , align=center , F , 15 December 1907 , 19 February 2019 , , Oldenburg , United States , - , 57 , data-sort-value="Schlink" , Elisabeth Schlink , align=center , F , 3 December 1910 , 24 December 2021 , ,

West Prussia The Province of West Prussia (german: Provinz Westpreußen; csb, Zôpadné Prësë; pl, Prusy Zachodnie) was a province of Prussia from 1773 to 1829 and 1878 to 1920. West Prussia was established as a province of the Kingdom of Prussia in 177 ...

, Schleswig-Holstein , - , 58 , data-sort-value="Glato" , Feuke Glato , align=center , F , 26 December 1908 , nowrap , 31 December 2019 , , Hanover , Lower Saxony , - , 59 , data-sort-value="Assmann" , Else Aßmann , align=center , F , 18 February 1902 , 15 February 2013 , 110 years, 363 days , Brandenburg , Berlin , - , 60 , data-sort-value="Meier" , Agnes Meier , align=center , F , 30 May 1907 , 19 May 2018 , , (unknown) , North Rhine-Westphalia , - , 61 , data-sort-value="Berner" , Carl Berner , align=center , M , 27 January 1902 , 7 January 2013 , 110 years, 346 days , Württemberg , United States , - , 62 , data-sort-value="Tilscher" , Aloysia Tilscher , align=center , F , 9 December 1893 , 8 November 2004 , 110 years, 335 days ,

Moravia Moravia ( , also , ; cs, Morava ; german: link=yes, Mähren ; pl, Morawy ; szl, Morawa; la, Moravia) is a historical region in the east of the Czech Republic and one of three historical Czech lands, with Bohemia and Czech Silesia. The m ...

, Bavaria , - , 63 , data-sort-value="Henke" , Hildegard Henke , align=center , F , 4 November 1905 , 27 September 2016 , , Rhineland , North Rhine-Westphalia , - , 64 , data-sort-value="Schmidt" , Frieda Schmidt , align=center , F , 15 December 1899 , 6 November 2010 , 110 years, 326 days , Brandenburg , Brandenburg , - , 65 , data-sort-value="Zeisler" , Berta Zeisler , align=center , F , 2 February 1900 , 1 December 2010 , 110 years, 302 days , Lorraine , Rhineland-Palatinate , -style="background:#9f9;" , style="background:#f9f9f9;", 66 , data-sort-value="Schornack" , Johann Schornack , align=center , M , 29 February 1912 , Living , , Rhineland , North Rhine-Westphalia , - , 67 , data-sort-value="Metreweli" , Gisela Metreweli , align=center , F , 10 October 1893 , 31 July 2004 , 110 years, 295 days , Bavaria , Bavaria , - , 68 , data-sort-value="Stutz" , Marie Stutz , align=center , F , 22 October 1896 , 11 August 2007 , 110 years, 293 days ,

, Bavaria , - , 69 , data-sort-value="Schneider, Gerhart" , Gerhart Schneider , align=center , M , 13 March 1908 , 18 December 2018 , 110 years, 280 days , Silesia , North Rhine-Westphalia , - , 70 , data-sort-value="Henningsen" , Erna Henningsen , align=center , F , 24 May 1889 , 27 February 2000 , 110 years, 279 days , Prussian Saxony , Berlin , - , 71 , data-sort-value="Mueller" , Frieda Müller , align=center , F , 18 October 1894 , 21 July 2005 , 110 years, 276 days , Brandenburg , Brandenburg , - , 72 , data-sort-value="Spyra" , Pauline Spyra , align=center , F , 24 April 1886 , 11 January 1997 , 110 years, 262 days , Silesia , Bavaria , - , 73 , data-sort-value="Rau" , Felicitas Rau , align=center , F , 11 December 1907 , 8 August 2018 , 110 years, 240 days , Hamburg , North Rhine-Westphalia , - , 74 , data-sort-value="Doerk" , Helga Doerk , align=center , F , 8 February 1908 , 2 October 2018 , 110 years, 237 days , Carinthia,

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

, North Rhine-Westphalia , - , 75 , data-sort-value="Tessmer" , Frieda Tessmer , align=center , F , 5 August 1897 , 28 March 2008 , 110 years, 236 days , Brandenburg , Berlin , - , 76 , data-sort-value="Rey" , Clothilde Rey , align=center , F , 20 November 1892 , 9 July 2003 , 110 years, 231 days , Rhineland , North Rhine-Westphalia , - , 77 , data-sort-value="Scharfenberg" , Erna Scharfenberg , align=center , F , 26 June 1894 , 26 January 2005 , 110 years, 214 days , Hamburg , Schleswig-Holstein , - , 78 , data-sort-value="Beumer" , Wilhelmine Beumer , align=center , F , 10 April 1910 , 9 November 2020 , 110 years, 213 days , Hanover , North Rhine-Westphalia , - , 79 , data-sort-value="Stoellger" , Mathilde Stoellger , align=center , F , 21 April 1893 , 16 November 2003 , 110 years, 209 days , Rhineland , North Rhine-Westphalia , - , 80 , data-sort-value="Groeber" , Karolina Gröber , align=center , F , 27 April 1901 , 21 November 2011 , 110 years, 208 days , Bavaria , Bavaria , - , 81 , data-sort-value="Wedeking" , Friedrich Wedeking , align=center , M , 10 October 1862 , 5 May 1973 , 110 years, 207 days ,

Lippe Lippe () is a ''Kreis'' (district) in the east of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Neighboring districts are Herford, Minden-Lübbecke, Höxter, Paderborn, Gütersloh, and district-free Bielefeld, which forms the region Ostwestfalen-Lippe. The ...

, North Rhine-Westphalia , - , 82 , data-sort-value="Corba" , Maria Corba , align=center , F , 15 August 1878 , 8 March 1989 , 110 years, 205 days ,

Banat Banat (, ; hu, Bánság; sr, Банат, Banat) is a geographical and historical region that straddles Central and Eastern Europe and which is currently divided among three countries: the eastern part lies in western Romania (the counties of T ...

, North Rhine-Westphalia , - , 83 , data-sort-value="Bauch" , Charlotte Bauch , align=center , F , 12 October 1900 , 2 May 2011 , 110 years, 202 days , Saxony , Bavaria , - , 84 , data-sort-value="Wagner" , Arno Wagner , align=center , M , 4 June 1894 , 22 December 2004 , 110 years, 201 days , Saxony , Saxony , - , 85 , data-sort-value="Wesser" , Hilda Wesser , align=center , F , 14 August 1911 , 26 February 2022 , 110 years, 196 days , Prussian Saxony , Saxony-Anhalt , - , 86 , data-sort-value="Dott" , Caroline Dott , align=center , F , 5 February 1900 , 8 August 2010 , 110 years, 184 days , Alsace , France , - , 87 , data-sort-value="Freund" , Marie Freund , align=center , F , 25 September 1885 , 13 March 1996 , 110 years, 170 days , Brandenburg , Brandenburg , - , 88 , data-sort-value="Umrath" , Franziska Umrath , align=center , F , 5 September 1885 , 18 February 1996 , 110 years, 166 days , West Prussia , Hamburg , - , rowspan=2, 89 , data-sort-value="Volmer" , Maria Volmer , align=center , F , 8 June 1890 , 6 November 2000 , rowspan=2, 110 years, 151 days , Westphalia , North Rhine-Westphalia , - , data-sort-value="Rasmus" , Johanne Rasmus , align=center , F , 25 October 1896 , 25 March 2007 , Hanover , Lower Saxony , - , rowspan=2, 91 , data-sort-value="Heidbreder" , Helene Heidbreder , align=center , F , 19 May 1897 , 8 October 2007 , rowspan=2, 110 years, 142 days , Westphalia , Lower Saxony , - , data-sort-value="Jantke" , Maria Jantke , align=center , F , 18 October 1902 , 9 March 2013 , Westphalia , North Rhine-Westphalia , - , 93 , data-sort-value="Joisten" , Emma Joisten , align=center , F , 21 June 1898 , 8 November 2008 , 110 years, 140 days , Hesse-Nassau , North Rhine-Westphalia , - , 94 , data-sort-value="Wilks" , Johanne Wilks , align=center , F , 8 February 1893 , 23 June 2003 , 110 years, 135 days , Oldenburg , Lower Saxony , - , 95 , data-sort-value="Hessberg" , Else Hessberg , align=center , F , 5 December 1892 , 12 April 2003 , 110 years, 128 days , Hesse-Nassau , United States , - , rowspan=2, 96 , data-sort-value="Rentel" , Ella Ille Rentel , align=center , F , 19 May 1852 , 19 September 1962 , rowspan=2, 110 years, 123 days ,

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...

, North Rhine-Westphalia , - , data-sort-value="von Veh" , Lina von Veh , align=center , F , 17 February 1898 , 19 June 2008 , Russia , Bavaria , - , 98 , data-sort-value="Guglberger" , Theresia Guglberger , align=center , F , 26 August 1908 , 25 December 2018 , 110 years, 121 days , (unknown) , Bavaria , - , 99 , data-sort-value="Steinhauer" , Christine Steinhauer , align=center , F , 12 August 1908 , 1 December 2018 , , Rhineland , North Rhine-Westphalia , - , 100 , data-sort-value="Weyl" , Ruth Weyl , align=center , F , 6 November 1908 , 23 February 2019 , 110 years, 109 days , Silesia , United States

Biographies

Friedrich Wedeking

Karl Friedrich Wedeking (10 October 1862 – 5 May 1973) was born in Blomberg,

Prussia Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an ...

German Confederation The German Confederation (german: Deutscher Bund, ) was an association of 39 predominantly German-speaking sovereign states in Central Europe. It was created by the Congress of Vienna in 1815 as a replacement of the former Holy Roman Empire, w ...

, and died in Dortmund, aged 110 years, 207 days. He was one of the founding members of the city's gliders club in 1931. Wedeking was the first supercentenarian recognized as the world's oldest living man by ''

Guinness World Records ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...

''.

Maria Laqua

Maria Laqua (12 February 1889 – 9 February 2002) was born in Rheydt- Odenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, as one of 13 children. She worked as a housemaid, got married, and gave birth to two sons in the 1920s, who both died in

the Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

. Her husband Charles died in 1958. She lived for 35 years in a retirement home in

Bad Hönningen Bad Hönningen () is a municipality in the district of Neuwied, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is situated on the right bank of the Rhine, approx. 15 km (10 mi) northwest of Neuwied, and 30 km (20 mi) southeast of Bonn ...

, Rhineland-Palatinate and died in her sleep. She was only survived by a great-niece who attended her regularly. Laqua was in need of care, bedridden and inaccessible during her last years, although she occasionally had a flash and spoke. She was the oldest person ever in Germany when she died aged 112 years, 362 days. Her record age was surpassed by

Gustav Gerneth , the Gerontology Research Group (GRG) had validated the longevity claims of 59 German citizens who have become "supercentenarians", attaining or surpassing 110 years of age. 49 of these were German residents and 10 were emigrants. There are cu ...

on 13 October 2018, although his age is officially still unvalidated.

Hermann Dörnemann

Hermann Dörnemann (27 May 1893 – 2 March 2005) was, at the time of his death, the oldest living person in Germany and the oldest living man in Europe for about one year. After the death of 113-year-old American, Fred H. Hale Sr., in November 2004, Dörnemann was believed to have become the world's oldest living man, but

Emiliano Mercado del Toro Emiliano Mercado del Toro (August 21, 1891 – January 24, 2007) was a Puerto Rican supercentenarian and military veteran who was, at age 115, the world's oldest person following the death of 116-year-old Elizabeth Bolden on December 11, 2006 ...

from Puerto Rico was later confirmed to be almost two years older. Dörnemann credited his longevity to "drinking a beer a day". He died of pneumonia in

Düsseldorf Düsseldorf ( , , ; often in English sources; Low Franconian and Ripuarian language, Ripuarian: ''Düsseldörp'' ; archaic nl, Dusseldorp ) is the capital city of North Rhine-Westphalia, the most populous state of Germany. It is the second- ...

, aged 111 years, 279 days.

Elisabeth Schneider

Elisabeth Schneider (19 August 1901 – 9 February 2013) was the oldest living person in Germany from November 2011 to her death in February 2013, aged 111 years and 174 days. She was born in

Bad Oeynhausen Bad Oeynhausen () is a spa town on the southern edge of the Wiehengebirge in the district of Minden-Lübbecke in the East-Westphalia-Lippe region of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The closest larger towns are Bielefeld (39 kilometres southwest) ...

, North Rhine-Westphalia, and had two sisters. She married in 1923 and gave birth to a daughter two years later. Schneider lived on her own until the age of 97. At her 111th birthday she was asked for the secret of her longevity and replied laughing that others just would have given up gasping for breath. She died in a retirement home in

Varel Varel () is a town in the district of Friesland, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated near the Jade River and the Jade Bight, approximately south of Wilhelmshaven and north of Oldenburg. With a population of 23,984 (2020) it is the bigge ...

, Lower Saxony. She was survived by her daughter, two grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Gertrud Henze

Gertrud Henze (8 December 1901 – 22 April 2014) was the oldest living person in Germany from February 2013 until her death in April 2014. She was born in Rügen, worked as a librarian, and never married nor had children. Since 1993, she lived in a retirement home in

Göttingen Göttingen (, , ; nds, Chöttingen) is a university city in Lower Saxony, central Germany, the capital of the eponymous district. The River Leine runs through it. At the end of 2019, the population was 118,911. General information The ori ...

, where she was appreciated for her open and life-affirming attitude. She was still in good health, and listed reasons for her longevity including: reading a lot, having lively contact with other people, sometimes enjoying a cigarette and a glass of wine, and never getting married. She celebrated her 112th birthday only with some friends and relatives, because the public interest in her prior birthday had been too exhausting. She enjoyed reading, with the help of a magnifying glass. She was still able to walk with a rollator to meet acquaintances and friends for a chat. Henze died at the age of 112 years and 135 days. She donated her body to medical science for genetic research.

Frieda Szwillus

Frieda Szwillus (née Hennig; 30 March 1902 – 21 September 2014) was Germany's oldest living person from April 2014 until her death five months later, aged 112 years, 175 days. She was born Frieda Hennig in Dessau (now in Saxony-Anhalt), and had six siblings. Her family moved to

Erla Erla is a municipality located in the province of Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain. According to the 2004 census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This ...

when she was 6. She was married twice, raised one biological child and three stepchildren, and outlived all of them. Until her later years, Szwillus lived at home in Raschau with her family, and she needed no medicine. She was in good physical condition, but suffered from

dementia Dementia is a disorder which manifests as a set of related symptoms, which usually surfaces when the brain is damaged by injury or disease. The symptoms involve progressive impairments in memory, thinking, and behavior, which negatively affe ...

. She had only been physically active during her youth. Her family attributed her longevity to a lively family life. She often visited her siblings, but never went on holiday. She also enjoyed knitting and embroidering. She died at the age of 112 years and 175 days.

Gustav Gerneth

Gustav Gerneth (15 October 1905 – 21 October 2019) was born in Stettin, German Empire (now Szczecin, Poland). 15 October 2017. Retrieved 15 October 2017 He worked in a shipping company and at a gas plant. During the Second World War, he was a mechanic in the German air force (''

Luftwaffe The ''Luftwaffe'' () was the aerial-warfare branch of the German ''Wehrmacht'' before and during World War II. Germany's military air arms during World War I, the ''Luftstreitkräfte'' of the Imperial Army and the '' Marine-Fliegerabtei ...

''). He married Charlotte Grubert in 1930 and the couple had three sons; she died in 1988. Gerneth lived in

Havelberg Havelberg () is a town in the district of Stendal, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is situated on the Havel, and part of the town is built on an island in the centre of the river. The two parts were incorporated as a town in 1875. It has a populati ...

Saxony-Anhalt Saxony-Anhalt (german: Sachsen-Anhalt ; nds, Sassen-Anholt) is a state of Germany, bordering the states of Brandenburg, Saxony, Thuringia and Lower Saxony. It covers an area of and has a population of 2.18 million inhabitants, making it th ...

for over forty years, and continued to do so on his own, with family members caring for his household. According to a statement by his granddaughter on his 113th birthday, he still had a lucid mind, watching football, solving crosswords, and doing

mental arithmetic Mental calculation consists of arithmetical calculations using only the human brain, with no help from any supplies (such as pencil and paper) or devices such as a calculator. People may use mental calculation when computing tools are not availab ...

. Asked for the reason for his long life, he said: "I have always been living and eating well. No diet. Always butter, never margarine. I have not touched any cigarette all my life and I drank alcohol only at celebrations." Gerneth died on 21 October 2019 of natural causes, aged 114 years and 6 days, believed to have been the world's oldest man, although ''

'' has not verified his case.

Notes

References

{{Longevity

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

Supercentenarians A supercentenarian (sometimes hyphenated as super-centenarian) is a person who has reached the age of 110 years. This age is achieved by about one in 1,000 centenarians. Supercentenarians typically live a life free of major age-related diseases u ...