Dear family, relatives, and friends of Marita Boos-Waidosch,
and all who have gathered here today,

It is with heavy hearts that we say goodbye today to a truly extraordinary woman; to a dedicated city council member, an enthusiastic advocate for cultural policy, and a tireless champion of inclusion and self-determination. We bid farewell to a powerful voice for people with disabilities and a unique personality whose influence extended far beyond the city of Mainz—and will continue to do so.

We mourn together with her daughter and with Dieter Waidosch, to whom we send our best wishes for a speedy recovery. We mourn with all her relatives and her friends. I would like to express my deepest condolences to all of you, both personally and on behalf of the City Council, the administration, and the citizens of Mainz.

Marita Boos-Waidosch passed away on October 1, 2025, on her 72nd birthday. And as we bid her farewell forever today, we do so with great gratitude and deep respect for her life’s work.

From 1993 to 2018—a full 25 years—Marita Boos-Waidosch served as the Disability Commissioner for the state capital of Mainz. She was also the first to hold the office of State Disability Commissioner in Rhineland-Palatinate and dedicated her life to advocating for equal rights and the visibility of people with disabilities. In addition, she served as a city councilor in Mainz’s local government starting in 2019.

Marita Boos-Waidosch left an indelible mark on our city. With her confidence and perseverance, her charisma and radiant presence—which were almost impossible to resist—she continuously worked to make our city more accessible. And she transformed our thinking and actions along with it!

“Everyone has their own calling,” she once said—and that is exactly what she radiated: a calling for the office she held with tremendous consistency and astonishing energy, indeed, she embodied it. Whenever we speak of disability policy or accessibility in our city in the future, the name Marita Boos-Waidosch will not go unmentioned!

For whatever has been done in our city over the past decades to promote self-determined living for people with disabilities—whether of a structural, social, or cultural nature—bears her signature.

The fact that she was also the first Disability Commissioner with a disability is a testament to her personal courage and bravery, but also to the success of the “Independent Living” movement she championed, which views people with disabilities as active and engaged citizens—in other words, as the foremost experts on their own lives. The advice of these experts is sought after and valued today, especially within our city administration.

“Where there’s a will, there’s a way”! Over the years and decades, Marita Boos-Waidosch’s life motto has also become a guiding principle for our city and for an ever-growing number of citizens, associations, groups, and committees working toward a barrier-free Mainz. As a central—and often the very first—point of contact, she has provided crucial impetus toward this goal. And not only in our city, but also at the state and federal levels.

What Marita Boos-Waidosch has initiated and implemented in Mainz serves as a model for all of Germany!

Various awards, including the Federal Cross of Merit and the Order of Merit of the State of Rhineland-Palatinate, attest to her outstanding commitment to participation, inclusion, and self-determined living. In 2003, the city honored her with the Bernhard Adelung Plaque for her volunteer work. In 2018, she also received the Gutenberg Statuette from the state capital of Mainz in recognition of her diverse work for the benefit of people with disabilities, but also for the benefit of the citizens of Mainz as a whole.

Her thinking always aimed straight at the heart of our social coexistence, at the heart of a society that sees itself not merely as a society for a few, but as a society for all. Her friendship, her knowledge, and her humor, as well as her open-hearted nature and her joy in good conversation, live on in our memory. And her multifaceted work in local politics and volunteer service remains a guiding principle and inspiration for our own actions.

Mainz’s civic community has lost a dedicated and highly esteemed citizen and a competent, always objective and approachable figure who was silenced far too soon. It will honor her memory with deep gratitude.

I bow my head in sorrow and deep respect to Marita Boos-Waidosch. May she rest in peace.