Farewell to Emma Ott and Elisabeth Eidenbenz

by Philipp Rodriguez (May 29, 2011)

Two long standing SCI volunteers left recently us forever Emma Ott (1907-2011) and Elisabeth Eidenbenz (1913-2011).

Emma Ott, who died on May 15th in Bern (Switzerland), participated in the Liechtenstein Service in 1928. As hospital nurse she worked in the 1930s in the Lambarene hospital of Albert Schweitzer. During the World War II she worked with other SCI volunteers in internment and refugee camp in Gurs in the South of War, in order to improve the life situation of the inmates. After the war she was head nurse in a hosptial in Bern. Many SCI members know her as she came regulary to the annual assembly of SCI Switzerland.

Elisabeth Eidenbenz died on May 23rd in Zürich (Switzerland). She was an SCI volunteer during in Spain during the Civil War and later she went like Emma to the South of France in order to take care of Spanish refugee in the Elne in the South of France. She helped to save the life of jewish children which were persecuted. She was honoured for her humanitarian acts several times. Read more in the article of Assumpta Montellà published in the Spanish Newspaper El País.