We deeply mourn the loss of our esteemed colleague Dr Antonie Katharina Nord, who passed away on 18 May 2025 after a long illness. As head of the international division and in many other roles, Antonie profoundly shaped the Heinrich Böll Foundation. Her clarity, strategic vision, and empathy made her both a respected leader and a warm, humorous colleague. We are struggling to comprehend this profound loss.
Antonie was a committed feminist and tireless advocate for democracy and human rights. Her ability to link strategic thinking with emotional intelligence made her a powerful role model. From her early work on Africa’s democratisation processes to her leadership of the international division, she brought deep knowledge, political instinct, and human warmth to everything she did.
She joined the foundation in 2002, when international work was expanding amid global political upheaval. As the only Africa desk officer, she supported offices in Addis Ababa, Lagos, Nairobi, and Cape Town, helping to shape the foundation’s democratic engagement. Antonie always asked what role gender played in political processes and worked to amplify women’s rights, even under challenging conditions.
From 2006 to 2011, she headed the Cape Town office, where she connected civil society, academia, and politics and ensured LGBTQI+ rights became part of the foundation’s agenda. She launched Perspectives Africa, a magazine that elevated African voices in the German debate, later expanding to other regions. In response to the digital shift and the COVID-19 pandemic, she developed Böll.Global, an online format for international exchange.
As head of the North Africa-Middle East department starting in 2011, she seized the momentum of the Arab Spring to support civil society. At the same time, she stood with Syrians opposing Assad’s brutal regime. Her unwavering support for the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights and Syrian partners helped secure landmark convictions against Syrian perpetrators, including for sexualised violence — a cause Antonie strongly championed.
In 2019, she became head of the international division. She drove structural improvements, including the Compass for Gender Democracy and Feminism and policies to prevent sexual harassment. Antonie also responded early to rising authoritarianism, helping establish a Brussels unit to support partners in crisis — and ensure their work could continue in exile if needed.
Antonie combined sharp analysis with lightness and grace. She inspired confidence and solidarity, even in difficult times. Her persistence in defending democratic values — and in facing her illness — was quiet but remarkable.
We say goodbye with deep sorrow and profound gratitude. Our thoughts are with her family, especially her husband and sons. The Heinrich Böll Foundation owes her a great deal. We will continue her legacy — with clarity, commitment, and compassion.
Imme Scholz, Jan Philipp Albrecht and Steffen Heizmann
Executive Board and Executive Management of the Heinrich Böll Foundation