Gerda Philipsborn: The German Jewish Woman Who Became Jamia Milia Islamia's Beloved 'Aapa Jaan'

The small Qabristan (cemetery) at Jamia Milia Islamia, Delhi is home to the graves of some of the founders, teachers and staff of the university. In this Muslim graveyard, a tombstone carries the name,

Gerda Philipsborn (30 April 1895 – 14 April 1943) in English. It carries an inscription in Urdu, and "Aapajaan," written on it, followed by "Served Jamia Milia Islamia from 1 January 1933 to 14 April 1943."The lines in Urdu read, "Na hoga yak-bayaban mandgi se zauq kam mera... habab-e-mauja-e-raftaar hai naqsh-e-qadam mera."Gerda was a German-born Jewish woman who was one of the key figures in the history of Jamia Millia Islamia. Born in Kiel, Germany, into an affluent family, she was a trained opera singer. She worked with children in kindergarten and welfare institutions. So, how did she reach India?Dr Margrit Pernau, who spent more than a decade in Jamia, wrote Gerda's biography, titled Jamia’s Aapa Jaan. She wrote, "A growing suspicion of modernity led many Germans to look to the East for salvation. New ideas about education also began to take root, soon drawing sensitive young people like Gerda to social work."

Adding, "Into this cultural churning in Germany arrived three students from India — Zakir Husain, Abid Husain and Muhammad Mujeeb. They had been deeply influenced by the Non-Cooperation and Khilafat Movements back home, and also by Gandhi’s call for national education. Jamia, which had recently been founded, strove to realise that new vision. And the three students were determined to dedicate themselves to this university with the benefit of their education in Germany."This was some time in the 1920s, and the trio would discuss their aspirations for Jamia Milia Islamia, and their hopes to educate Muslim students in India, in an environment not controlled by the British colonial power.She befriended the young men, and eventually followed them to Delhi sometime in 1932. Jamia Milia Islamia was established in 1920 in Aligarh, and shifted to Delhi's Karol Bagh in 1925. It was later shifted to the new campus in Okhla, then a village on the outskirts of Delhi, in 1935. This is how Gerda reached Delhi and formally joined in 1933. She was trained in working with young children, and took charge of the nursery and primary sections."She continued her discussions with Zakir Husain here, contributing to ideas which made their way into Gandhi’s Basic Education programme, expounded by Husain at Wardha in 1937. She would also write regularly for Jamia’s children’s magazine, Payam-e Ta’lim, and soon became a beloved Aapa Jaan, elder sister, to the entire Jamia baradari," wrote Dr Margrit.

Her work focused on health and routine. She checked children’s hygiene, clothing and diet. She introduced arts and crafts into the school day. She encouraged letter-writing projects like Payam-e Ta’lim and Payam-e Biradari, which gave students a way to express themselves. She worked for a minimal salary, and vowed to serve for life. She played a part in supporting girls’ education at Jamia. At a time when opportunities for women were limited, she helped create spaces where they could participate fully in school life.The Second World War changed her life. As a German national in British India, she was seen as a security risk. In 1940 she was sent to the Purandhar internment camp in Maharashtra. Conditions there were difficult. She developed a gastric ulcer and her health never recovered. She used to help Jewish refugees in Delhi, and even at the camp, advocated for them. She eventually returned to Delhi, but succumbed to cancer.