Ida Arenhold

Ida Arenhold (11 October 1798 – 24 September 1863) was a German social welfare pioneer. She was a co-founder and the first overseer of the which is the oldest and still the largest hospital in Hanover.

Biography Ida Arenhold was born in Herzberg am Harz, a small country town between Hanover and Göttingen. She was the first of the eight recorded children of Wilhelm Arenhold (1768–1849), a senior court/government official, by his marriage to Ilse Leßmann. A year later the family moved to Hanover in connection with Wilhelm Arenhold's work. In 1822, after a long illness, her mother died. Ida was left to take charge of her father's substantial household and look after her seven younger siblings. The basic records of their practical help were set out in a "Minute Book" in which the ladies made notes about their house visits.

Personal Ida Arenhold never married. She kept house for her father till he died in 1849, which freed her up to move into the Friederikenstift. That enabled her to give her full attention to her duties as chair of the association, "house-mother" and matron. She provided leadership for the sisterhood, women and girls who wished to place their lives at the service of the association. They were trained to take care of the sick, worked in the hospital and lived in the "Schwesternhaus" accommodation block, often for their entire lives.

She was driven by a strong religious conviction. She took to heart and liked to quote, Christ's maxim, "... Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me" (Matth. 25:40).

Ida Arenhold died on 24 September. Her body is buried in the city's Gartenfriedhof.