Annemarie Arnold celebrates her hundredth birthday

Annemarie Arnold from the city of Zug is turning 100, and can hardly believe it herself. She is one of very few, however: in comparison with the rest of Switzerland, the canton of Zug has the lowest number of centenarians and older people per 100,000 inhabitants.

"I’m now experiencing one of the best times of my life" - Annemarie Arnold sits on the antique sofa in her living room, her gaze looking out over Lake Zug. "I can still do many things myself, I am mentally well," she continues. There’s great satisfaction in her expression. A woman born and bred in Zug (Urzugerin) - as she describes herself - was born on 7 February 1923. She became 100 years old on Tuesday of this week.

This makes her one of the few people in the canton of Zug who live to be a hundred or older. According to data from the Federal Office for Statistics (Bundesamt für Statistik), there were around 10 centenarians and older living per 100,000 inhabitants in the canton of Zug at the end of 2021. This puts the canton of Zug at the bottom of the table for elderly residents. By way of comparison, there are around 21 centenarians and older people per 100,000 inhabitants in Switzerland overall, while the canton of Ticino has the highest figure, at around 40.

"Can that really be true?" Annemarie Arnold can hardly believe her age herself. It's a strange feeling that she describes. "It doesn't feel like I'm already 100 years old. I'm still much too lively, I can hardly sit still for a moment." The senior citizen laughs disarmingly. Her spirit, the clarity of her statements and her wit are impressive.

Age leaves its mark, of course,. Walking is difficult for Annemarie Arnold, and arthrosis plagues her knees. She also has to struggle with dizziness from time to time, and had to have an operation on her back five years ago. A rollator (walking aid) has recently become part of her equipment. But she still lives in her own apartment, where she is assisted by a housekeeper three times a week, and a private care company helps her in the mornings.

She has lived in the same house since 1964
"The fact that I am so content and happy is certainly also related to my financial situation," she reflects. Since moving out of the family home in 1964, she has lived in the large and "beautiful House Seepark" - as she herself describes the house - in the middle of the city of Zug. She grew up with two brothers in the Villa Flora near today's Casino car park: this house was built by her grandfather. Like her father, he was a doctor.

Annemarie Arnold in the living room of her city flat.
She still reads the newspaper every day.                Photos: Stefan Kaiser
Nowhere in Switzerland do fewer over-centenarians live than in the canton of Zug
Number of people aged 100 and over per 100,000 inhabitants, as of December 2021          Federal Office for Statistics)

Her father died early, and the young woman soon had to take on responsibility. She attended the Athene business school, spent a housekeeping year in French-speaking Switzerland and became an air-raid warden during the Second World War. She then worked at the Zug Land Registry (Grundbuchamt) and at a bank, among other places.

Annemarie Arnold never married. She lived in a relationship for a long time until her partner died seven years ago. "I’ve really experienced a lot in my long life," she says. Among the best experiences are the many trips and cruises she was able to take with her partner. "What I might have missed in my younger years, I was able to catch up on later."

She says she was particularly interested in the country and people. "I was always interested anyway, also politically. I wanted to know what was happening in the world, and especially here in Zug," she adds.

She can still list many former city presidents by name, and of course she also knows the current one. She would have liked him to pay her a visit on the occasion of the big anniversary. Due to time constraints, however, this was not possible. Nevertheless, a distinguished visitor is expected: Councillor (Stadträtin) Eliane Birchmeier will bring the congratulations of the Zug executive.

She was also expecting visitors for her special day, after which .her everyday life will probably calm down again. She has to manage her energy. "I can't manage more than one appointment a day," she says. She always takes breaks, even in the middle of an activity if she notices she is getting tired. "I first had to learn that."

Four factors for happy ageing
She has no trouble with the changes that come with age. "There's no point. I can't change it," she says pragmatically. The same applies to dealing with the caregivers who come and go every day: "They are just doing their job. It doesn't help them if I'm bad-tempered and impatient." In her old age, she has learned that she feels better when she is positive.

In her remarks, the centenarian confirms the thesis of gerontologist François Höpflinger that, in addition to good genes, four factors are central to happy ageing: financial security, a positive attitude, openness and curiosity, and good social contacts.

She no longer has so many social contacts, says Annemarie Arnold, because many acquaintances have already died. She does have good contact with the son of her deceased partner and a nephew, however, as well as their partners. She adds that she was always sporty and liked to exercise, for example skiing, swimming and hiking.

What does the future hold? Do you still make plans as a centenarian? "No," the senior citizen laughs at this thought. "I hope that I still have a good time to live." Her trust in God also helps her. But she already has something planned: a holiday in Schinznach. She has been a regular visitor to the spa town in Aargau for 25 years: "With the rollator, I can go for walks in the beautiful countryside again.”