Gaby Zipfel 1951–2021

Dear Eurozine partners,

It is with deep sadness that we must inform you about the passing of Gaby Zipfel, co-founder of Eurozine and long-time editor of the partner journal Mittelweg 36.

Gaby belonged to the circle of friends who transformed an informal group of journal editors into what we now know as the Eurozine network. She was a member of the editors collective that steered the online magazine during these early days. In 2005 she joined the scaled-down Eurozine editorial board, where she sat until 2012, before moving to the board of trustees. From there she moved to the advisory board, thus ensuring much needed continuity.

In all these different roles, Gaby remained very close to Eurozine, guiding and advising editorial and management staff, and contributing important content from Mittelweg 36. Gaby always had an open ear for ideas, questions and concerns. Her efforts to help Eurozine out of economically dire situations were crucial on more than one occasion.

This slightly-built, casually elegant lady was a constant presence at network gatherings, never pushing for the centre stage, instead seeking out good conversation, preferably along with a cigarette and a glass of wine. As her farewell from the Eurozine Editorial Board in 2012, she hosted the stunning Eurozine conference ‘Arrivals / Departures: European harbour cities as places of migration’ in Hamburg.

She herself was an occasional Eurozine author, only last year contributing an outstanding overview of literature on sexual violence in war, her specialist area.

We will miss Gaby as a dedicated partner in all network matters, as an astute conversation partner and as a dear friend. We will try our best to honour her memory by nurturing the founding spirit of Eurozine. Our thoughts are with her daughter, Anna.

Mika Buljevic, Göran Dahlberg, Veronika Leiner, Daniel Leisegang
Board of the Eurozine Association