Jürgen Gramenz

Persons & Facts

Here will be presented some interesting facts and persons of various Gramenz families. If You can provide information, additions or corrections, I would be happy if You would contact me.

Elisabeth Gramenz

Elisabeth Gramenz was born as the daughter of CARL Friedrich Ferdinand Gramenz from Peterfitz and Elwine Lichtfuß on 11-20-1881 in Rabuhn, district Kolberg-Körlin, province Pomerania. With 15 years she decided to pursue a religious life. On 01-16-1903 she joined the "Diakonissen-Mutterhaus" (deaconess mother house) in Vandsburg, West Prussia as a nun². In 1903 the Marburger Mission decided to send friars and nuns to China for religious work. Therefore at the beginning of 1907 the deaconess Elisabeth Gramenz was trained for this service. After stays ar Liebenzell (July 1908) and London (1909) she traveled via Genua to Shanghai in September 1909. In cooperation with the Liebenzeller Mission and with the "China-Inland-Mission" she started to work as the first nun of Vandsburg in China. Together with Anna Müller, the second deaconess of Vandsburg in China, in June 1912 both where ordered to the station Taohwaping in the province Hunan. They established a school and three outposts and did educational works. Especially they helped the Chinese population in medical terms. Elisabeth was trained as a midwife and was medically experienced. She took over the responsibility for a hospital and was also sent to other stations to help women after their births³. So she worked in the main at Paoking from September 1910 until June 1912 and at Taohwaping from June 1912 until Februar 1920³. Within 18 years 300 persons were baptized in the province of Hunan because of the work of the deaconesses in cooperation with the Liebenzeller Mission. In 1920 Elisabeth Gramenz had to finish her duty because of health reasons. In February 1919³ she felt ill of the so called head influenza². Unfortunately she never recovered from this and died in 1940 due to the consequences of the disease at the "Landesheilanstalt" (country hospital) at Kappel.

Thus Elisabeth Gramenz was the first permanent Protestant missionary in China.