Leni Preetorius

Helene "Leni" Preetorius also written as Léni Prétorius (26 September 1889 – 5 October 1965) was an of German descent, Belgian-born, fencer and teacher.

Preetorius was among the best female fencers in the early era of women's fencing in Belgium. She competed at the earliest women's fencing meeting in London, the 1910 England–Belgium women's fencing competition and finished among others in the second place at the  1914 "La Femme Contemporaine" women's fencing competition.

She became a beloved teacher in Germany, but was expelled in 1933 for being half-Jewish. A request by the Verein für Deutsche Kulturbeziehungen im Ausland and 89 students to keep her was unsuccesfull.

In honor of her, a Stolperstein was laid of her in Heidelberg.

Biography
Preetorius was born on 26 September 1889 in Antwerp, Belgian. She had German parents. Her father August Preetorius (born 1855) worked in Antwerp as a doctor and her mother was Sofie Preetorius-Goldschmidt; both came from upper-middle-class families in Mainz, Germany. Her grandfather was Wilhelm Preetorius (born 1824) who was a respected marchant, a commercial councilor and member of the Mainz city council. She had a one year older sister Jula Preetorius. Preetorius attended a private school in Antwerp, and learned among others multiple languages (French, English, Flemish and Italian).

Fencing (1900s-1910s)
The first fencing related mentions of Preetorius in newspapers were in November 1905 and May 1906 (while this also could point to her sister). After its foundation of the Ladies Fencing Club of Fencing Hall Verbrugge in 1908, she became a member of it.

In 1910 she competed at the first women's fencing meeting in London, the 1910 England–Belgium women's fencing competition, where she competed against Julia Johnstone. In early 1911 she participated at the international meeting in The Hague, the Netherlands. In March 1911 Swedish male fencers came to Belgium, and the members of the Ladies Fencing Club (including Preetorius) also contributed to this event. The Matin wrote wrote about the women: "Again, in this as in so many other things, woman has shown herself superior to man." In December 1911 she competed at the 1911 Belgium–Netherlands women's fencing meeting in Antwerp. In 1914 she finished second behind the Dutch Esther Bekkers-Lopes Cardozo at the international 1914 "La Femme Contemporaine" women's fencing competition.

The main championships for women were in that era the annual championships of the Ladies Fencing Club. In February 1910 she finished second at these championships behind Marthe Pungs, winning eight of her nine matches. She won the championships in 1911 ahead of Germaine Lowet. In 1913 she finished third behind Marthe Pungs and Adrienne Machiels. At other national competions she finished among others third at the national 1912 New Years Eve competition behind Adrienne Machiels and Marthe Pungs.

Teaching career
During World War I, the family had to leave Belgium and returned to Hesse. Preetorius started working as a Red Cross nurse in Frankfurt. Later during the War she could return back to Antwerp and succesfully took her school leaving exam. She afterwards started studying in Heidelberg, Germany. As her mother died, she had a shared there a household with her father and her sister, whose husband had died during World War I. After her state examination, she started working as teacher at the girls' school and girls' secondary school in Plöck in May 1924. She worked as much as poissible, because she also had to support her father and sister who received a minimal widow's pension. From 1925 onwards, she received substitute teaching assignments in Bruchsal, Wiesloch and at the Liselotte School in Mannheim and was rated very positively. In addition, from 1928, she statred giving three hours of language lessons at the University for foreigners. Her father died in 1930.

Preetorius received in July 1933 a letter from the ministry that she had was dismissed because she was half-jewish. The Verein für Deutsche Kulturbeziehungen im Ausland requested the minister that the dismissal of Preetorius would be reversed with the application also containing signatures of 89 students who wanted her to stay. The minister's response was that it was the law that was being followed and that he could do nothing.

During World War II Preetorius could still work as a teacher, but was not allowed to teach German language and history. After the War she worked from January 1946 at the Wieblinger Schule. In 1951 she became head teacher of the women’s Gymnasium in Plöck. She retired in 1954.

Preetorius died on 5 October 1965, at the age of 76.

References

Category:Belgian fencers
Category:German fencers
Category:Belgian educators
Category:German educators
Category:1889 births
Category:1965 deaths
Category:People from Antwerp
Category:Place of death missing