Mayor Gert-Uwe Mende paid tribute to her work and dedication, which had a significant impact on church life in Wiesbaden for many years. As president of the Wiesbaden deanery, she had been a committed and clear voice for the church and a valued partner in dialogue for the city. “She wanted to shape things and make a difference. In doing so, she always kept her eye on the common good and on the people behind the institutions. I particularly valued this combination of clarity, drive, and her sense of community in her,” said Mayor Gert-Uwe Mende. “Her voice, her willingness to address even difficult issues, and her commitment to community life will be sorely missed.”

Since the 1990s, Gabriele Schmidt had been active on the Auringen church council, eventually serving as its chair. Beginning in 2000, she also led the deanery synod in Wiesbaden and shaped the development of the Protestant deanery for over two decades. “As chair of the board of the Wiesbaden-Rheingau-Taunus Regional Administrative Association, the former director of studies also shouldered responsibility for many years. From 2004 to the end of 2016, she served on the Church Synod of the EKHN; subsequently, from 2017 to 2022, she represented the church congregations as an honorary, non-ordained member of the church leadership,” writes the Evangelical Deanery of Wiesbaden.

For her volunteer work in the Protestant Church, Gabriele Schmidt was awarded the Federal Cross of Merit on Ribbon. In 2022, she was also honored with the Gold Citizen’s Medal of the state capital, Wiesbaden.