103 years old: the secret of a healthy life of Erika Ziefle!

103 years old: the secret of a healthy life of Erika Ziefle!

Anklam, Deutschland - A remarkable occasion was celebrated on June 20, 2025 in Ducherow: Erika Ziefle, the oldest resident of the community, was allowed to celebrate her 103rd birthday. Mayor Martin Weitmann brought the best congratulations and brought flowers as a gift. The life story of the jubilee is characterized by simplicity and durability. As the daughter of a day laborer, she grew up in poor conditions and still lives alone in her own four walls. She is supported by her daughter Anita Rost and the voluntary service of the Johanniter. Another highlight awaits you for your 104th birthday if she is planning an ice cream with Martin Weitmann. But what is your secret for such a long life?

"A solid lifestyle, health, no alcohol and loyalty," reveals Erika Ziefle. This wisdom could help at a time when the world is subject to constant changes around us. These upheavals are not only noticeable in personal life stories. The social circumstances were also shaped by enormous upheavals in their birth year 1922. In Germany there was a change to the Weimar Republic, which was built after the First World War. This time of upheaval not only brought new political structures with it, but also a change in consumer culture.

The beginnings of the gummy bears

In the middle of this exciting era, Hans Riegel from Haribo invented the first gummy bears to be known at the time as "dance bears". These little sweets not only symbolize a new trend, but also access to sweets for broad layers of the population. While prices were still affordable in the early 1920s - two gummy bears only cost a penny - the popularity of these delicacies grew steadily. Doris Richter, managing director of a gummy bear shop, describes the nostalgic value and the joy that these sweets still offer today. In Germany, around 200,000 tons of fruit gum are consumed annually today, which illustrates the continued success of this tradition.

a democratic society

The invention of gummy bears also reflects the changes in society. The introduction of the general right to vote and the legal equality of the citizens were milestones of the Weimar Republic. However, these developments were not without challenges. Sociologists like Boike Rehbein have analyzed the effects of democratization on consumer behavior and pointed out that the quality of the mass products often suffers when access to consumer goods is democratized. This raises the question of whether real democracy and high -quality products can exist at the same time.

The Weimar Republic also saw progress in industrialization, with electrification and mass production, which rose significantly. Companies like Siemens and AEG made great progress and led to an increase in motorization in the 1920s. However, this economic upswing was abruptly stopped by the global economic crisis of 1929 and led to massive social and economic challenges.