Ulla Hagedorn (3.10.1934 – 30.09.2013)

Bernadette Ridard

Ulla died rather suddenly on 30 September, and her close relatives and friends were all taken by surprise. Of course, she had grown older through the last years: she used a walker to move around and needed help in daily life. Nevertheless, she remained open-minded, interested and well informed about what was going on in Hamburg and in the world. She was still living in her little flat surrounded by many books, a lot of artistic pieces, as well as files and archives, including various WRI pottery mugs made by Devi Prasad.

Ulla had been married and had a son, Rainer. Mother and son remained close through the years. When Rainer decided to become a conscientious objector in 1974-75, he contacted the DFG-IdK for advice. At that time, would-be COs had to justify their choice before a small jury. This is how Ulla got in contact with the WRI. She became a member of the DFG-IdK Hamburg and was on the board as soon as 1975. In that same year she attended the triennial at Noordwijkerhout “The festival of nonviolent political alternatives” and I believe, that’s where many of us (old guard) met Ulla for the first time. Gandhi was an inspiration to her and she led a simple life in Gandhi’s style. She visited at the Swaraj Ashram in Vedchhi, Gujarat, over new year 1985-86 for the triennial, and returned to India later, living at the Ashram (where Narajan was living) and took many beautiful black and white pictures.

Ulla enjoyed photography and several of the best known images of Myrtle Solomon were photos taken by Ulla on a visit to Myrtle’s in the eighties.

Later on, Ulla became an individual member of the WRI and followed closely the work of the organisation. We know Ulla as a very emotional person, but she was also steady and even obstinate when she had something in mind. Along with members of the German-Indian society to which she belonged, she campaigned for years on end to name a public place in Hamburg after Gandhi. Hamburg now has a Gandhi Bridge which was officially opened on 2nd October 2012, and Ulla was very happy to be there! It is in the new harbour area, near the future Concert Hall “Elbphilharmonie”.

Ulla was very interested in art and had taken drawing classes in the seventies. Later on she regularly attended international art workshops in north Germany. She was very creative herself. She also enjoyed reading and participated in literary meetings. Besides this, she had a number of musical instruments which she would bring to work. After training as an educator in the seventies she worked with physically handicapped children for many years.

Her various interests allowed her to meet different types of people, and she knew many people and had many friends.

Ulla was never mocking or critical of people. She always looked for positive features in those she met,and she was a good listener. I remember her telling me how she had had various long talks with the inmates of a health care centre, where she spent a few weeks.

In that rather short period of time, several inmates had confided in her with very personal stories and I was really impressed by her ability to listen thoroughly.

The e-revolution did not change her way of life. Her daughter-in-law, Barbara, was fascinated by how Ulla would keep herself informed without a mobile, a PC or Internet. She had a telephone and a fax and that was it! She kept in touch via the phone or through letter-writing.

She will remain in our minds as a convinced and friendly peace activist who remained faithful to her convictions though her life, one of them being that, if you want to change the world, you have to begin with yourself.