Introducing our latest series featuring mature women we admire at IRMASWORLD, celebrating their journeys, current pursuits, and the graceful way they continue to age and improve with each passing day.
MARIANNE WILLE, born in 1951, met her future husband at the age of 13. They married seven years later and have now celebrated 53 years together, raising three daughters and enjoying the company of nine grandchildren. Alongside her responsibilities as a mother and homemaker, Marianne pursued interests such as piano playing, opera, hunting and an active social life. Later in life, she began sharing articles and photos of cultural experiences on Facebook, which led to a regular newspaper column. Marianne Wille is both a columnist and a shareholder in the Dallmayr coffee company, and she is one of the the founders of the FORUM FÜR HUMOR UND KOMISCHE KUNST e.V.
IRMA: What do you like best about your life now?
MARIANNE WILLE: Everything, really: what I still have. Having my husband of 53 years by my side, having my daughters’ families close by and a fantastic relationship with them, being largely healthy, having a wonderful circle of friends and a lively social life, being able to go to cultural events, living in a beautiful house with a garden and plenty of space and being able to live in freedom.
IRMA: How would you define a good day?
MARIANNE WILLE: For me, a good day is any day without any real misfortune.
I especially like it when I have time to myself at home: Reading the newspaper in peace, playing the piano, resting, walking in my garden in winter.
IRMA: How would you describe your personal style?
MARIANNE WILLE: Rather sporty, not restrictive, colourful, cheerful.
IRMA: What interests you most in life at the moment?
MARIANNE WILLE: After four years of writing a weekly column about my social life in my city, Munich, for the TZ, and being even busier and more committed than usual, I would like to spend a lot of time with my husband, my family and good friends – without neglecting the current exhibitions, operas and interesting events.
IRMA. Is there a daily routine you follow to keep yourself healthy and fit?
MARIANNE WILLE: After reading some time ago from a famous American physiotherapist that stretching the back of the thighs is essential for good posture well into old age, I have made this and other stretching exercises part of my morning routine – which, of course, I should complement with strength training…. Unfortunately, that’s a problem. I don’t eat convenience food, I cook everything fresh, and I don’t drink alcohol – not on principle, but because I’m not crazy about it. My daughters suspect that this is the reason for my bubbling energy and freshness.
IRMA: What do you think is the most important quality to have as you get older, creativity, kindness, curiosity, generosity or/ and reliability, please tell us why?
MARIANNE WILLE: All the qualities mentioned are important – but I would still put curiosity at the top… and – importantly – humour, which allows me to look at things with the distance that is often necessary. You should keep both for as long as possible, then you will remain tolerable and amusing to the rest of the world, even in old age.
IRMA: What are your plans for the future?
MARIANNE WILLE: To stay curious and enjoy this last phase of life with my husband. And I’ll look after our hunting grounds north of Munich even more. And write – who knows what else will come to me?
IRMA. Where do you find the strength and inspiration for your daily life?
MARIANNE WILLE: My main source of strength comes from my family, where I feel safe and loved; from my nine grandchildren, who let me share in their future; from my close circle of friends, with whom I can exchange ideas about many things; from my garden and nature, which give me peace and which I can admire again and again; from art, which interprets every new era from different perspectives, and from creative women like you, who inspire me.
IRMA: Thank you, Marianne.
SUSANNE FICHTNER, born in 1961 and mother of one daughter.
I worked for 25 years as a chemist and developer in a cosmetics company, responsible for products and textures. I like painting, swimming, running, skiing, and travelling.
IRMA: What do you like best about your current life?
SUSANNE FICHTNER: Being in charge and having the freedom to be creative.
IRMA: How would you define a good day?
SUSANNE FICHTNER: Being aware that my family is thriving and enjoying moments in nature, especially during times of smooth flow, I appreciate the profound wisdom of life: Panta rhei.
IRMA: How would you describe your personal style?
SUSANNE FICHTNER: Classic basics with fashionable details such as eye-catching jewellery and beautiful accessories; occasionally daring to try something more eye-catching such as pattern mixing, depending on mood and occasion.
IRMA: What interests you most in life at the moment?
SUSANNE FICHTNER: After a very routine working life, I am currently enjoying my freedom and dedicating myself to defining and finding new goals in life.
IRMA: Is there a daily routine you follow to stay healthy and fit?
SUSANNE FICHTNER: Spending a lot of time in nature, reading and exploring the world of art and culture for spiritual and aesthetic inspiration.
IRMA: What do you think is the most important quality to have as you grow older: creativity, kindness, curiosity, generosity and/or reliability? Please tell us why.
SUSANNE FICHTNER: Each of them holds significance. Personal development thrives on creativity, expressing gratitude to others is an embodiment of kindness, giving enriches through generosity, personal growth is catalyzed by curiosity, and mutual trust in human relationships is founded on reliability.
IRMA: What are your plans for the future?
SUSANNE FICHTNER: I would like to show my paintings on a larger scale.
IRMA: Where do you find strength and inspiration for your daily life?
SUSANNE FICHTNER: In nature, in exchange with my daughter and friends who are very dear to me.
DORETTE KHEZRI, born in 1943, married to a Persian surgeon with whom I had two children, a boy and a girl.
In the beginning, I held a part-time position at my husband’s clinic, all the while finding joy in walking my dogs and dedicating time to writing at my desk. The majority of my life unfolded in the South of France, where I discovered a deep passion for art and drawing. In 2015, I authored a book titled “Künstlersiedlung Golzheim,” focusing on the place of my childhood in Düsseldorf. The book delves into the artists’ quarter, featuring renowned figures like Bruno Goller and Peter Janssen, who also worked at the Academy of Arts in Düsseldorf, along with my family and the sculptor Carl Vilz, http://vilz-skulpturen.de
IRMA: What do you like best about your present life?
DORETTE KHEZRI: I enjoy the freedoms and privileges.
IRMA: How would you define a good day?
DORETTE KHEZRI: Waking up with no commitments/planning appointments and duties whatsoever, which is a privilege at my age.
IRMA: How would you describe your personal style?
DORETTE KHEZRI: In the realm of fashion categorization, I would classify myself as a woman with a classic and elegant sporty style.
IRMA: What are you most interested in at the moment?
DORETTE KHEZRI: Reading/learning to write.
IRMA: Do you have a daily routine to keep yourself healthy and fit?
DORETTE KHEZRI: Walking/gym/healthy food/no smoking/rarely alcohol.
IRMA: What do you think is the most important quality to have as you get older, creativity, kindness, curiosity, generosity or/ and reliability, please tell us why?
DORETTE KHEZRI: Stop self-sabotage, reflect on your life and experiences. It is useless to reflect the madness of youth through the eyes of superficial men.
If a young woman is judged to be pretty, it is a mercy,
But for an older woman to be judged as kind is luck.
IRMA: What are your plans for the future?
DORETTE KHEZRI: I am writing a book.
IRMA: Where do you find strength and inspiration for your daily life?
DORETTE KHEZRI: In nature, in dialogue with myself, in a constant process of interaction between I and ME.
DAGMAR MURKUDIS, born in 1952. I spent my childhood in South Tyrol with my parents and four siblings. After studying graphic art and design, I added a degree in social pedagogy and worked as a street worker in Berlin for ten years. I moved to Munich and started as an intern at the Hellerbrunn Zoo and then began my editorial career as a beauty and interior stylist for magazines such as Marie Claire, GQ, Harper’s Bazaar and AD Germany.
IRMA: What do you like best about your current life?
DAGMAR MURKUDIS: Being able to choose how I spend my time.
IRMA: How would you define a good day?
DAGMAR MURKUDIS: Being by the sea, sitting in the sun in Essaouira with my son Luca.
IRMA: How would you describe your personal style?
DAGMAR MURKUDIS: I like to mix sportswear with vintage Saint Laurent.
IRMA: What interests you most in life at the moment?
DAGMAR MURKUDIS: How to manage the transition from working life to retirement, which isn’t easy at times.
IRMA: Is there a daily routine you follow to stay healthy and fit?
DAGMAR MURKUDIS: For 30 years I have started my day with hot lemon water.
IRMA: In your opinion, what is the most important quality to have as you grow older, creativity, kindness, curiosity, generosity or/and reliability, please tell us why?
DAGMAR MURKUDIS: For me it’s definitely being relaxed and friendly – there’s nothing worse than stubborn old ladies.
IRMA: What are your plans for the future?
DAGMAR MURKUDIS: Wishes and plans are mixed up in my current life: Studying veterinary medicine, learning Portuguese, carpentry, a house by the sea, singing in a choir…
IRMA: Where do you find strength and inspiration for your daily life?
DAGMAR MURKUDIS: Having my family and friends around me, laughing a lot and trying to make everyone happy.