Ilse Reichel-Koss

Ilse Reichel-Koß (born Ilse Pottgießer: 13 July 1925 - 17 December 1993) was a German politician (SPD). She served between 1971 and 1981 as the Berlin Senator for Family, Youth and Sport.

Life Ilse Pottgießer was born in the Wedding quarter on the north side of central Berlin. She grew up in the Reinickendorf district, a little to the north-west of Wedding. Her father was a belt maker by trade, closely associated with both the Social Democratic Party and the Trades Union movement. Between 1965 and 1971 she served as district councillor for youth and sport in Berlin-Reinickendorf. Then, between 1971 and 1981, she served as a Berlin Senator. She remained a member of the Berlin regional parliament ("Abgeordnetenhaus") till 1989.

Works Under her leadership Reinickendorf was provided with its first adventure playground for children. In 1976 she opened the first women's refuge in West Berlin or West Germany. More than any other Berlin Senator, she was tireless in her support of the Citizens' Action Initiative ("Bürgerinitiative"). She was hugely supportive of initiatives and projects for child day care ("Eltern-Initiativ-Kindertagesstätten") to help working parents, and of other adventure playgrounds and women's refuges. In 1990 she took on the leadership of the "Gropius city north citizen's parent-children circle initiative" ("Bürgerinitiative Eltern-Kinder-Kreis Gropiusstadt Nord e.V."). Founded in 1969 this is believed to be the oldest operating citizen's action initiative group of its kind. She took over a riding school that had fallen on hard times on behalf of the group and successfully transformed it into the "Children's Groß-Ziethen Farm House" ("Kinderbauernhof Groß-Ziethen") which today carries her name.

Between 1971 and 1981 Ilse Reichel-Koß worked closely with Ingrid Stahmer. Just as Ella Kay had become an inspiration and mentor for Reichel-Koß, so Reichel-Koß performed a similar function for Stahmer. Later, as a member of the Berlin Senate between 1990 and 1994 and then as a member of the regional parliament till 1999, she was able to ensure powerful political backing for Stahmer with regard to creating and improving youth facilities in Berlin.