Bowing to a rough woman
A rude woman has died. Eugenie stelzner, born in 1924, died on 23 june 2009. January at the clinic. She was an outstanding person who influenced many people as a teacher in lichtenfels and altenkunstadt and as an honorary member of the women's federation. With her infectious temperament and never-ending commitment, she has made a difference in her hometown. But not only here: as a long-time chairwoman of the catholic german women's association, branch association lichtenfels, she was also active for many years on the diozesan board in bamberg. In this capacity, she was a state and national delegate. Throughout the federal republic of germany, there are women who know eugenie stelzner and associate her with happiness, wit, intelligence and a strong commitment to emancipation.
Eugenie stelzner led the lichtenfels branch association from 1986 to 1998 and pragmatized it with her strong personality during these twelve years. She always had the goals of the association in mind and strove to enable women to play an active role in the church, society and politics. She was guided by the guidelines and educational offers of the women's association at diozesan and state level. During the same period, she was also a member of the parish council and the church administration.
Women's movement in the church
Bringing the women's movement into the church was one of the declared goals of this leader, in the spirit of the founders of the KDFB (1903). Her contemplation of a picture of pentecost, where mary could be seen in the midst of the apostles, says everything about her commitment to gender justice: "that's where we belong too, in the midst of the apostles. Not above, but not below either!"
The subject of women's education work, both socially and ecclesiastically, was very important to her, and she never ran out of ideas and suggestions for the educational program of the frauenbund. Choosing women's issues, approaching them from a feminist point of view, and awakening in other women a sensitivity to this feminist approach was close to her heart. "I am a feminist and an emancipated woman. And I am proud!" This is what she said about herself.
Until the end of her life she continued her education, both within and outside the catholic women's association. She was characterized by an insatiable hunger for more in the socio-political and religious spheres. She looked beyond her own church tower. For many years she was involved in ecumenical work, especially in the ecumenical initiative of catholic and protestant women from lichtenfels and schney, which has been running continuously since 1991 (1. Ocumenical church day in lichtenfels) met to prepare ecumenical women's events. With ever new energy she prepared e.g. The ecumenical may devotions at the moritzkappl with before, which were particularly important to her from the women's point of view: to rediscover mary, the coarse woman of christianity, together and thus to make her an ecumenical integration figure for the women of lichtenfels instead of a barrier between the denominations.
The work for the women's world day of prayer was a real affair of the heart for her. As a well-traveled woman, she knew how to introduce the participants to the respective world day of prayer country each year with great enthusiasm. The new forms of a typically feminine spirituality, which go hand in hand with this work, were a challenge for her, which she took up again and again. Sharing what filled her heart, what did her good, with other women, that was what filled eugenie stelzner's life, what made her happy.
In the service of her fellow human beings
In the field of women's politics, she has been actively involved in the lichtenfels events for international women's day ("lichtenfels women's groups") for 26 years, thus making it clear that a catholic women's association also has to be involved in (women's) politics.
Eugenie stelzner worked for many years as a volunteer in the former senior citizens' home on nordgauerstrabe. An erzahlcafe, mental training and religious topics were a rough concern for her. To be mentally fit until old age, that was her declared goal, and so until a few weeks ago she motivated a women's group with ever new impulses for memory training, because more quality of life in old age was very important to her, for herself and for her "fellow women".
Eugenie stelzner was a gifted teacher and as such she will certainly be remembered by many women and men from the region. In 1986 she was retired from the school service. "You have reaped such a rough harvest in the barn of your professional success that resting on the laurel heap should be more important to you than traipsing further on the professional tramp", the then principal of the herzog otto main school, erich A, told her. Reinlein, as a farewell.
Never rested on her laurels
These heaps of laurels were of less interest to eugenie stelzner, and it hardly occurred to her to rest on them. Very soon she devoted herself to new honorary tasks, for which she was awarded the honorary medal of the state of bavaria in 2000.
At home, the family mourns the loss of a very special mother, mother-in-law and grandmother, who was truly the heart of the family. In the city, many mourn the loss of a woman who gave much from the fulle of her vitality. And the women of lichtenfels, who worked intensively with her, are grateful that they were able to have her in their midst. You will often sorely miss eugenie stelzner, but always in the knowledge that "every woman needs another woman who is rougher than she is, so that she can grow herself." ("affidamento" of the milanese philosophers) the christians in lichtenfels did not have such a woman.
