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Ilona Rüberg: A life for the Trabbi and the community in Anklam
Ilona Rüberg, an important part of the Anklamer Trabi Club, passed away in October 2025. She will be ceremonially farewelled on December 6th.
Ilona Rüberg: A life for the Trabbi and the community in Anklam
The sadness over the loss of Ilona Rüberg is palpable in Anklam. The popular personality died on October 18, 2025 at the age of 73. Her family, friends and the Trabbi Buggy Club, which was shaped by her commitment, are now facing a painful gap.
Ilona, who was born on September 22, 1952, was much more than just a member of the traditional club. She was a wife, mother, mother-in-law, grandmother, aunt and friend. She always looked forward to her commitment to the community and the club with an open heart and a cheeky smile. She was known for her handwritten to-do lists, which helped her keep track of the chaos of organizing. In 2019 she was awarded the Badge of Honor by the Hanseatic City of Anklam, a well-deserved award for her maintenance of tradition and her tireless commitment.
Involvement in the Trabbi Buggy Club
Since the Trabbi Buggy Club was founded in 1993, Ilona has been a mainstay of the club. The club emerged from a group of nine young Trabi drivers who dared to make a new start after being excluded from their original club. The association is committed to preserving the tradition of VEB Automobilwerke Sachsenring Zwickau and organizes numerous events around the popular car, which was presented in the 1950s and became a symbol of East Germany. After all, over 3.7 million Trabants were produced worldwide before production was stopped.
Ilona Rüberg was a passionate Trabi driver and proud of her midnight blue Trabi convertible, affectionately called “Hugo”. Under her aegis the club experienced its best years. The Anklam Trabi meetings, which are among the largest of their kind in Germany, are clear evidence of the popularity of this means of transport, which represents a kind of nostalgia for many. The Trabant has enormous significance not only as a car, but also in East German culture.
Last journey and funeral service
On December 6th, Ilona Rüberg will embark on her last journey: a burial at sea in the Baltic Sea off Usedom. Before that, a memorial service will take place at 10 a.m. at the IFA collection in Quilow, to which friends and family are invited to say goodbye.
The memory of Ilona Rüberg will not fade. Her sense of duty, her warmth and her courage will continue to be valued and remembered in the community. Her diverse talents, from educator to passionate angler to Trabi driver, have enriched not only her family but also the entire region in many ways.