OBITUARY FOR Rolf Seelmann-Eggebert.
On August 28, 2025, journalist and author Rolf Seelmann-Eggebert passed away in Hamburg at the age of 88. To many, he was known as a knowledgeable foreign correspondent and later as the ARD’s “royal expert.” Less in the spotlight, but of special importance to us, was his commitment to Africa, which connected us with him in a very special way.
OBITUARY BY Christian Krämer & Thilo Braune
Rolf Seelmann-Eggebert, highly respected journalist, gentleman of the old school, profound connoisseur of Africa, long-standing UNICEF board member, wise source of inspiration and friend of our Peter Krämer Foundation, has passed away. As the ARD’s Africa correspondent in Pretoria at the time, he supported Peter Krämer’s attempt to establish cooperation with the Nelson Mandela Foundation with his advice, opened doors, and thus became something of a midwife to our Schools for Africa project. In the years that followed, we could always turn to him and benefit from his gracefully mediating manner in times of difficulty.
We mourn with his family and friends and honor his memory with the greatest respect.
Christian Krämer & Tilo Braune
How an Encounter Became a Movement –
Rolf Seelmann-Eggebert on the Beginnings of Schools for Africa (in german)
This text, along with many other insights, comes from our book “Geschichte – Gegenwart – Perspektive 2003-2020”.