Heidemarie Dreyer-Weik passed away on March 23, 2024, after a long and serious illness. Her death deeply saddens me, as we jointly chaired the board of trustees of the wannseeFORUM for many years. She served as vice-chair of this body from 2017 until she stepped down from this position in 2022. This is a great loss for me, as we worked well together, understood each other perfectly, and complemented each other well. Her valuable experience and extensive knowledge enriched our work. I always thoroughly enjoyed planning upcoming meetings and other events with her.
Heidemarie was a qualified social worker, NLP Master Practitioner, and coach with many years of experience in education and community work. From 1993, she worked as an educational consultant at the Paritätische Akademie (Parity Academy), where she led seminars and training trips on topics such as integration, migration, and inclusion. From 2009, she worked there as a freelance lecturer. Alongside her professional work, she volunteered at the Eichkamp Neighborhood Center, including on the Stolperstein (stumbling block) initiative.
Heidemarie first became acquainted with the Wannsee Youth Center in the late 1990s when she held some of her seminars there. The location, the atmosphere, and the open and friendly communication appealed to her greatly and motivated her to become a member of the association. When it transitioned into a foundation, she became a member of the board of trustees. Her passion has always been for emancipatory political education!
For many years, Heidemarie was an indispensable part of the Wannsee Forum's board of trustees. Through her long-standing commitment as a member of the board, she shaped the Wannsee Forum with insightful ideas, great warmth, and unwavering dedication. She devoted herself with great passion to promoting communication, developing youth policy approaches, and especially fostering international understanding.
My collaboration with Heidemarie was characterized by mutual respect, understanding, and a wonderful synergy. She was not only a dedicated colleague but also a person whose very being touched and inspired others. I always benefited greatly from her experience – she had known the wannseeFORUM for considerably longer than I had – and always found it very supportive to co-lead the sessions with her.
We will cherish the memory of Heidemarie and honor her contributions to the wannseeFORUM.
As a farewell, one of my favorite poems by Rainer Maria Rilke:
This is the longing
to live in the ebb
and flow, to have no home in time.
And these are wishes:
quiet dialogues of daily hours with eternity.
And that is life.
Until from a yesterday rises the loneliest of all hours,
smiling differently than the other sisters,
silently facing the Eternal.
