We mourn the passing of Gabriele Naundorf, who died on March 25, 2025 at the age of 81.
For decades, Gabriele Naundorf was the heart of the Wannseeheim for Youth Work e.V. and later of the wannseeFORUM Foundation. At a memorial café held at the wannseeFORUM, family members, friends, and professional colleagues shared memories and tributes: about her work at the educational institution, her commitment to emancipatory education for girls and women, her significance in youth policy, and last but not least, in remembrance of Gabriele as a supportive, caring, and constructively argumentative friend, colleague, partner, and supervisor.
Gabriele Naundorf was an outstanding figure in the German educational landscape and significantly shaped the education of girls and women in particular. For decades, she dedicated herself to the advancement of girls and young women and was a driving force in the development of concepts and projects that contributed to greater equality in society.
Gabriele Naundorf's professional career began in 1972 when, as an educational consultant at the Wannseeheim youth center, she pioneered the field of emancipatory girls' education, developing initial concepts for this approach. She created and led courses for girls that built upon their strengths and interests, imparting not only knowledge but also the self-confidence to pursue their own interests and find their place in the world. These courses were often holistic and inspiring educational experiences for the participants, combining lectures, excursions with interviews, visual arts, music, and dance. They frequently provided impetus for later professional and personal life decisions. Many courses were specifically aimed at secondary school students, a target group previously neglected in education, and sparked their enthusiasm for "foreign worlds" such as history or technology.
Gabriele Naundorf was a co-founder, both theoretically and practically, of girls' and women's education work in the Federal Republic of Germany. She contributed to ensuring that youth policy was not primarily policy for boys. And she provided essential impetus for the further development of this work in reunified Germany. Some important milestones include:
- Initially, the goal – arduous enough! – was to establish emancipatory concepts for girls' and women's education within extracurricular youth and adult education across Germany. The forum for this was the Association of German Educational Institutions (AdB), of which the Wannseeheim Youth Center was a founding member. In 1979, despite considerable resistance, a resolution was successfully passed within the AdB establishing an independent commission for "Girls' and Women's Education," providing significant support for the female educators in the member institutions.
- It was the AdB (Association of German Girls) that proposed Gabriele Naundorf as an expert for the expert commission for the 6th Children and Youth Report, "Improving Equal Opportunities for Girls in the Federal Republic of Germany," presented in 1984. She was appointed as one of the six members of the expert commission and was able to advocate for comprehensive political and argumentative support for girls' education in the Federal Republic. For the first time, the social and individual situation of girls was to be comprehensively examined and reported to the Federal Government and the Bundestag (Federal Parliament); in all five previous youth reports, youth had been virtually automatically equated with boys. Gabriele Naundorf knew recognized female experts for many of the topics covered in the 6th Children and Youth Report and successfully recommended them for expert opinions on these matters to the commission.
Topics included inclusion and migration, socialization and the world of work, girls in rural areas and in youth welfare, the image of girls in media, culture and history, the debate about coeducation and, as a particularly sensitive new topic, sexual abuse in the immediate social environment, in the family.
- In 1986, with the support of the Berlin Women's Representative and in cooperation with the Haus am Rupenhorn adult education center, and under the professional leadership of Gabriele Naundorf, the first of the nationwide women's conferences took place. These conferences were then offered annually at the wannseeFORUM until 2008. Under the overarching theme of "Femininity as an Opportunity," these conferences emerged as a unique forum for connecting the developing field of women's studies with the practical work of girls' programs. They took a clear stance against the deficit-oriented approach that reduces girls and women to the role of victims. The women's conferences also garnered considerable interest in the newly reunified Germany and attracted participants from German-speaking countries abroad.
It was Gabriele Naundorf's tireless commitment – from 1999 onwards as director of the Wannsee Youth Center – that paved the way for the political recognition and promotion of emancipatory girls' education. Her influence on the German educational landscape was invaluable, not only in youth policy and educational theory, but also in the practical aspects of educational work. She was always open to new approaches and projects, provided they shared her values of equality and self-realization. We always greatly appreciated her willingness to incorporate new (not just feminist!) concepts into educational work and thus integrate new perspectives.
Gabriele Naundorf's commitment to practical work with girls was evident, among other things, in the pilot project "Girls' Work in the Neighborhood," which led to the creation of the MaDonna girls' center in Berlin-Neukölln. Together with Gabriele Heinemann, she co-founded the center and served on its board for many years. To this day, MaDonna stands for intercultural community work and the empowerment of girls and young women.
Later, as deputy chair of the board of trustees of the wannseeFORUM foundation from 2011 onwards, Gabriele Naundorf demonstrated an unbroken passion for the issues close to her heart, even in "retirement." She continued to advocate for an open culture of debate and the discussion of social and political issues, particularly with regard to gender equality and the rights of women and girls.
As the author of the documentary "From Wannseeheim for Youth Work eV to the wannseeFORUM Foundation – 70 Years of Political and Cultural Education in 7 Stages" (2012), she bequeathed to us a significant piece of contemporary history. In it, she highlighted the achievements, the crises, but above all, the unique characteristics of this institution that have shaped its influence for over 70 years.
But Gabriele Naundorf was not only a tireless fighter for the rights of girls and women, but also a wonderful friend who enriched the lives of those close to her with her zest for life and her solidarity. She was always helpful and generous, whether caring for cats or readily lending her car for trips or transport. Her friendships were characterized by openness, respect, trust, and mutual support – values she lived not only in her professional life but also in her private life.
The death of Gabriele Naundorf leaves a void that will be felt throughout the German educational landscape and in the hearts of all who worked with her. Her life was a life of commitment to equality and emancipation, to the advancement of girls and women, and to the conviction that education is the key to changing the world. Her work will continue in the many projects she initiated and by the countless people who benefited from her efforts – especially at the wannseeFORUM, which she described as follows: "This beautiful place, outside the everyday routine of school or work, is perfectly suited to venturing into new ideas and, consequently, a new perspective." For decades, Gabriele Naundorf was the heart of this institution, its inspiring spirit, and its guardian of beauty.
We are grateful to have been part of her circle of friends and professional companions, and we will remember her as an enthusiastic and inspiring colleague.
