Elisabeth Rothweiler

Elisabeth Rothweiler

Elisabeth Rothweiler (born July 27, 1894 in Freiburg im Breisgau as Elisabeth Eichelberger ; † June 8, 1982 in Donaueschingen ) was a German politician and teacher.

Life

Elisabeth Rothweiler was the first honorary citizen in the history of the city of Donaueschingen and as a woman role model in public life and social engagement, especially in times of crisis during the First and Second World Wars , she was a woman of action. In 1914, when she was twenty, she was a teacher at the school in Allmendshofen. She taught there until her marriage in 1919. In lectures and many one-on-one conversations, she offered consolation and help to women and mothers during the First World War.

When, after the war in 1919, the young democracy gave women the right to vote, the young teacher entered the political arena and worked in town and country for political education for women, until 1936 in the Badischer Frauenverein. At the age of 27 she became a member of the Donaueschingen Citizens Committee, in which she was a member of the Center Party from 1921 to 1933, and advocated Christian values. She did not know fear: after the murder of Finance Minister Matthias Erzberger , Rothweiler gave a sensational speech in the Sternensaal in Donaueschingen.

In 1936, the Nazis decreed that the Catholic Elisabeth Rothweiler had to resign from her position on the board of the charitable “Red Cross” and her professional work as a teacher. She was accused of “political unreliability” after visiting Berlin with Princess Mena zu Fürstenberg. With pastor Monsignor Dr. Heinrich Feurstein devoted herself more to church, cultural and family needs. Pastor Feurstein died on August 2, 1942 in the Dachau concentration camp, Elisabeth Rothweiler was able to fully resume her professional teaching activities, partly during and after the war. Her two sons Gerhard (* 1921) and Manfred (* 1923) were, however, harassed and disadvantaged during their school days because of their mother's clear Christian creed. As a long-time member of the supervisory board of Freie Wohlfahrt (Neue Heimat) and as a member of the municipal housing committee, she developed a wide range of social activities for displaced people, those looking for accommodation and those in need in the heavily bombed city. Donaueschingen was an occupation city and Rothweiler and her family were severely decimated their living space for four years.

In 1956 Elisabeth Rothweiler was elected to the CDU council of the city of Donaueschingen with the most votes. She held this office until 1969. Rothweiler was a consultant for the municipal hospital and was responsible for personnel and grant matters. In old age she was the initiator and owner of the St. Michael old people's home, for which she was passionate. At the age of 88 she died unexpectedly of a heart condition in her apartment at Konradin-Kreutzer Straße 10. The grave of the honorary citizen is in the cemetery in Allmendshofen. In the meantime a street in Donaueschingen has been named after her.

Awards and honors

• Federal Cross of Merit 1st Class of the Federal Republic of Germany
• 1969 Pontifical Cross of Honor " Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice "
• 1969 Awarded the Golden Medal of the City of Donaueschingen
• 1974 honorary citizen of the city of Donaueschingen
• 1975 coat of arms of the city of Donaueschingen

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Badische Zeitung No. 130 June 9/10, 1982.
2. ^ "Memories" by Elisabeth Rothweiler 1972.
3. ^ Günter Vollmer: (Not) a street for the honorary citizen. In: Südkurier . April 22, 2010, accessed July 9, 2016.
4. ↑ https://www.unser-stadtplan.de/Stadtplan/Donaueschingen/str/Elisabeth-Rothweiler-Strasse.map
5. ^ Donaueschingen Tagblatt v. June 9, 1982 # 130 B5.
6. ^ Document dated March 8, 1969 by Pope Paul VI.
7. ↑ Obituary of Mayor Dr. Everke from 9./10.1982 in Badische Zeitung No. 130 DoVi.
8. ^ Certificate of the City of Donaueschingen April 1975 Mayor Dr. Everke.