Kretschmann was born inBreslau,Kingdom of Prussia, on 3 December 1909.[5] In addition to her parents and older brother she also had grandparents who lived on a farm inPomerania.[6]
In her childhood she didgymnastics, and, as she remarked later, "got everything she wanted from her parents".[1][7] Kretschmann also said in an interview that she wanted to do what her older brother "was allowed to do" (namely sports). She thus ran 800 metres as a "discipline" which earned her a gold pin from the sports authorities.[7]
At the age of 27, Kretschmann met her husband Werner during a dance at a sporting event (c. 1936).[7] Later that year they married and in 1937 had a daughter named Siegried.[8]
DuringWorld War II, her husband was drafted intothe army and sent to thefront line in France.[5] While Kretschmann stayed behind in their hometown she was forced to flee in 1944 with her daughter toStuttgart.[5] TheRed Cross "facilitated the couple's reunion" after the war ended and the family of three settled there.[3][8] Kretschmann's husband died in 1996, and her daughter Siegried died in 2019.[5][7]
Kretschmann lived alone until 2014 when she experienced abrain haemorrhage.[1] While this health scare prompted her to move into a nursing home inKirchheim unter Teck, she was noted by doctors for her relatively remarkable health given her age.[7][9] Kretschmann had anInstagram account where she kept a photo diary of her life.[10] She eventually became the oldest living person in Germany at the age of 112, and her age was verified by theGerontology Research Group on 23 August 2023.[5]
Kretschmann died in Kirchheim unter Teck on 27 August 2024, at the age of 114 years and 268 days.[11]
