Ellen Tessloff
Late in the morning of Sunday, 19th February, 2023, our fellow-Aurovilian Ellen Tessloff (née Doring) very quietly and peacefully left her body in her Arati apartment. Her son Manuel had come over from Germany and was by her side. She would have been 95 just two months later.
Strong -Willed Character
After a career as hatha yoga teacher in Germany, Ellen arrived in Auroville in 1996 and was accepted as an Aurovilian a year later. Starting out as a welcome presence in Ilaignarkal School she subsequently joined the Auroville Library where she worked for years. On the side, she would translate works of Sri Aurobindo into German for a publishing house connected to her husband.
During the last ten years we have seen Ellen in a wheelchair as she suffered from spondylolisthesis, a degenerative spinal disease leading to gradual paralysis of both legs. Helped by her no-nonsense and strong-willed character, she took it in her stride and managed to keep taking care of herself until the most recent years.
With her daughter also present, Ellen’s remains were cremated at Auroville’s mandapam in the afternoon of 22nd February.
