Jamia Millia: The German woman who dedicated her life to an Indian university

In a Muslim grave in Delhi, a grave stands out.

Although it has an Urdu monument, Gerda Philipsborn, a German-born Jewish woman, is contained beneath it, followed by the phrase” Aapajaan” or “elder girl.”

This is strange because the tombs of the owners of Jamia Millia Islamia, a leading Muslim university with roots in India’s struggle for independence, are resting below. Students there have continued this tradition of political engagement, including demonstrations against a contentious citizenship laws that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration introduced in 2019.

How did a European Jew come to be so enamored of a position so far and apart from her birthplace?

The answer lies somewhere between friendship and a person’s search for meaning, says Margrit Pernau, publisher of Jamia’s Aapa Jaan: The Some Lifeworlds of Gerda Philipsborn.

Pernau, who has spent a decade reading Jamia, says that though she had come across Philipsborn’s brand many times during her study, her existence was shrouded in mystery.

Even today, not many students know about Philipsborn and her contribution to the university. Syeda Hameed, a prominent activist and historian, says there’s a need for writings on her to be translated and made available to students “for their benefit and the benefit of future generations”.

Philipsborn’s journey from being a German memsahib – a term of respect for white European women in colonial India – to becoming Jamia’s Aapa Jaan began in 1933 when she traveled to India after forging an unlikely friendship with three Indian men, Zakir Husain, Muhammad Mujeeb, and Abid Husain, who had gone to Berlin to study.

The men may later become Jamia’s major founders and play significant roles in the country’s political history, with Zakir Husain becoming the next president of the country in 1967.

In the 1920s and 30s, it was uncommon to find cross-national friends, let alone near, philosophical ties between three people and a person.

The men, who were active in the liberation movement, frequently spoke with Philipsborn about their plans to create a structure that would support India’s struggle for freedom.

At the time, there were very few institutes in American India, and perhaps fewer people that were not funded by the government. In order to take an active part in India’s struggle for independence, the gentlemen wanted Jamia to be a spot where Muslim boys and girls may teach themselves. They also desired that the organization foster family harmony and unity among Hindus and Muslims.

These ethical plans had a profound effect on Philipsborn. Born into a wealthy family in 1895, she had seen her existence, and the earth around her, shift due to war, urbanization and a flood of anti-Semitism. She was aware of what it was like to be oppressed, to yearn for liberty, and to be driven by a need to effect change, Pernau writes.

And so Philipsborn followed her companions to India shortly after she left Berlin to dedicate their lives to constructing Jamia. However, it was difficult to make the transition from a teeming, modernized Berlin to a land that was rife with hunger. Pernau clarifies how frequently Philipsborn was prohibited from traveling by Zakir Husain.

” More than once she had offered to join him]in India], and more than once he had proffered’ tips, instructions, and exhortations not to appear ‘”, Pernau writes.

Meanwhile, Muhammad Mujeeb wondered how a” still young, childless and alone woman may meet into Jamia, whose women at this time also observed purdah]the isolation of people from the look of people or neighbors, practiced by some Muslims and Hindus ]”, she writes.

However, Philipsborn made the journey despite these warnings for prudence.

Within weeks, she managed to make friends with the citizens of Jamia and also began teaching in the school’s principal class. She consented to devote her life to serving the establishment, just like the other teaches there, and worked for the lowest income.

She used the knowledge she had gained teaching at kindergartens in Germany to make education enjoyable and approachable for her students. When she was appointed the warden of a hostel for children, she took on the role of an Aapa Jaan for them, Pernau writes.

She kept them near to her, both emotionally and physically, by doing basic things like washing and oiling their locks. According to Pernau,” She attended to the little kids under her care with such passion that they did n’t miss their family” when the little ones fell ill.

Philipsborn likewise encouraged Jamia’s girls and women to take a more effective role in society. When she joined the editorial staff of Payam-e Ta’lim, Jamia’s children’s book, she contributed reports that spotlighted the hobbies and interests of women and urged girls to read for the blog.

Gerda also frequently served as Jamia’s members ‘ sounding board for all things involving teaching and politicians, helping to raise money for the university, and preparing speeches for the school.

But seven years after she arrived in India, her job hit a barrier.

Amid Britain’s war with Germany, European citizens in British India were viewed with suspicion, leading to their imprisonment and incarceration in camps where they endured harsh conditions, including insufficient water, blankets and foods.

In 1940, Philipsborn was taken to one of these camps. Due to the possibility that the authorities would deport her to Germany where Hitler was persecuting the Jews, she was concerned for her life. She organized small events to cheer up her inmates and took care of those who had fallen ill, even in the camp, to serve them.

However, Philipsborn developed a gastric ulcer a few months after being brought to the camp. She was taken to a hospital for treatment before returning to the camp, where she spent the entire year.

She returned to Jamia and continued her work after being released, but she struggled to perform as well as her ulcer turned cancerous. She tried to talk to children through her articles in the Payam-e Ta’lim, but she eventually grew weak.

Philipsborn passed away in the Jamia families ‘ cemetery in April 1943. ” She died miles away from her family, but was surrounded by the people who loved her”, says Hameed about Gerda’s death.

A hostel and daycare center named after her continue to exist in the corridors of Jamia long after her death.