Christina Schultheiss

Christina Schultheiß (27 June 1918 – 26 March 2016) was a German civil engineer, best known for her involvement in the Protestant church. She was president of the Thuringian state synod from 1978 to 1990, a member of the synods of the Federation of Protestant Churches of the German Democratic Republic, the United Evangelical Lutheran Church of Germany and a board member of the Conference of Protestant Church Leaders of the GDR.

Early life and education Christina Fiedler was born in Chemnitz on 27 June 1918 to Luise and Karl Fiedler. Her father was an entrepreneur, working in building construction, civil engineering and concrete road construction. Her parents were members of Dietrich Bonhoeffer's Confessing Church and opponents of National Socialist ideology. She grew up in comfortable circumstances with two sisters.

Christina Fiedler attended primary and secondary school in Chemnitz from 1923 to 1932 and, at her mother's insistence, completed an apprenticeship as a dressmaker from 1932 to 1935 before studying fashion design for two semesters at the Europäischen Meisterakademie in Munich. Her personal cause was the fight for the ordination of female theologians, and she demanded "More self-confidence please!" from women. Her husband had returned from the war paralyzed and died after seven years of serious illness.

Awards and commemoration Christina Schultheiß was honoured with the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany 1st Class in 1992.

A service of remembrance was held on her hundredth birthday in Pillingsdorf.