BERLIN, Germany — In a surprising event, Alexandra Hildebrandt, the director of the Berlin Wall Museum, recently gave birth to her tenth child at the age of 66. Her son, Philipp, was born via cesarean section on March 19, 2025, at the renowned Charité University Hospital, marking a personal milestone for Hildebrandt and raising eyebrows regarding maternal age.
Born in 1959 in Kiev, Hildebrandt has had a journey in motherhood that many would find inspiring yet unconventional. She arrived in Berlin in 1990 as an artist, showcasing 120 of her paintings. In 1995, she married Rainer Hildebrandt, the founder of the Berlin Wall Museum, who passed away in 2004. Afterward, she took the reins at the museum and has since become a notable human rights activist, especially advocating for victims of the war in Ukraine since the Russian invasion in 2022.
On her experiences with motherhood, Hildebrandt expressed her feelings about age, stating, “What does age on a passport say? What’s important is the biological age. And I feel like 35.” She is now a mother of eight children with her current partner, CDU member Daniel Dormann, with all their kids born after her 53rd birthday, including twins. The couple married in 2016, during a partnership formed after Rainer’s death.
Professor Wolfgang Henrich, director of the Department of Obstetrics at Charité, remarked on the uniqueness of Hildebrandt’s situation. “The age and a high number of cesarean sections present a rare challenge in obstetrics,” he noted. Hildebrandt has had eight cesarean sections yet has maintained good health throughout her pregnancies. Henrich added, “Thanks to her particularly good physical constitution, she handled the pregnancy remarkably well. It was a largely uncomplicated pregnancy.”
Philipp, weighing 3550 grams and measuring 50 centimeters, was welcomed into the world with celebrations despite close medical monitoring. He currently remains in an incubator, receiving oxygen support to assist with moisture in his lungs. Hildebrandt celebrated her newest addition joyfully, stating, “To have a large family is wonderful. We should encourage people to have more children!”
Despite societal critiques of her late motherhood, Hildebrandt remains unfazed by negative judgments. She argues against the prevailing attitudes that discourage larger families, remarking, “There seems to be a trend of child-unfriendliness in society. We need to promote the idea of having more children!” She leads an active lifestyle—claiming to never have used contraceptives and partaking in regular exercise, such as swimming and walking. “I eat very healthily, swim regularly for an hour, run for two hours, don’t smoke or drink, and have never used contraceptives,” she said.
As Hildebrandt prepares to welcome Philipp to a newly acquired home in Berlin-Zehlendorf, she looks forward to each of her children having their own rooms once renovations are complete. “All my children will have their own rooms, once the renovations are complete,” she shared, aiming to create a supportive environment.
Hildebrandt also has two older children from previous relationships: Svetlana, aged 45, a physician, and Artjom, aged 36, a diplomat and conflict researcher. Her story introduces a new narrative to the discussion surrounding motherhood and age, challenging typical perceptions of childbirth at an older age. “Why not if I can? It’s lovely when everyone sits around a big table in the dining room. That’s what family looks like to me,” she concluded.
The medical community typically approaches pregnancies after a certain age with caution due to potential complications for both mother and child. Although fertility tends to drop significantly after 40, Hildebrandt’s experiences are contesting conventional beliefs. According to Henrich, fertility for women over 40 is generally very low, particularly for natural conception.
Despite the evident risks, Hildebrandt and her growing family’s story resonates with many, shedding light on the joys and possibilities of becoming a parent at any age. As such narratives emerge, they spark broader discussions about family, age, and societal norms, igniting both admiration and debate.
