talking to a centenarian

Ms. Dorothea Ziegler, who has supported the IFAW regularly for more than 21 years, celebrated her 100th birthday in December 2019. Visiting her and talking to her were a great gift that we would like to share with you

What does someone have to tell, who looks back on a century? What was defining in this long life? What has proven itself as a motto in life?

There are two main themes running through the stimulating conversation:

Throughout her life Ms. Ziegler was always where history was written. It was in the last days of the war in the east, she just missed the train that was bombed in Dresden, she left the young GDR shortly before the border was closed. She helped build the Federal Republic of Germany.

Ms. Ziegler helps wherever she can. During the war, she had worked in a dairy in Poznan (now Poznan, Poland) and sent butter and other dairy products to her family that might have starved without her. During GDR times she was arrested and put in prison when she had illegally smuggled shirt fabric and chocolate for her nephew into the east from the western part of Berlin.

She said that she used to donate to a large number of organizations and that she now limits her support to a children's aid organization, an organization that saves lives and IFAW. She said that she chose IFAW because, from her perspective, IFAW has the greatest overview and supports projects with the greatest efficiency.

We thank Ms. Ziegler for this wonderful opportunity to have this conversation at her home. We thank her for the many years of support, for the openness, for the trust and wish her many happy years.

Ms. Ziegler ended her "soliloquy of an 80 year old" twenty years ago with the words: "Apart from the ailments, life is still very nice! So take it as it is and stay OPTIMISTIC despite everything! ”