Erika Krüger was born Erika Maria von Rendrop in Prien. She attended primary school and grammar school in Marquartstein. After completing her education, she worked as a manager and educator at her family's international children's home. She married Peter Krüger in 1971. Together, the couple founded the Schlemmermeyer company and developed it into a delicatessen chain. After selling the successful company, the Krüger couple dedicated themselves to the property business. Today, Erika Krüger is Managing Director of Renta GmbH Versicherungsvermittlungs- und Vermögensverwaltungsgesellschaft mbH, based in Munich.
In December 2006, the Krügers established the Dr Erich Krüger Foundation, named after Dr Peter Krüger's father. After the death of her husband in July 2007, Erika Krüger took over the chairmanship of the Dr Erich Krüger Foundation. On 8 December 2007, she chaired the meeting in Freiberg for the first time in her role as Chair of the Foundation's Board of Directors. In continuing her husband's life's work, she has realised and continued the guiding principle of the foundation in his spirit: the promotion of practice- and application-oriented science and research and the next generation of scientists.
As Chairwoman of the Dr Erich Krüger Foundation, Dr Erika Krüger is very successfully committed to the TU Bergakademie Freiberg and far beyond. To date, she has initiated and supported two research colleges (Freiberg High Pressure Research Centre and Freiberg Biohydrometallurgical Centre BHMZ), in which research is carried out in important future-oriented fields. In this way, she provides significant support for the positive developments at TU Bergakademie Freiberg.
Dr Erika Krüger is also committed to urban development in Freiberg. For example, she renovated the Freudenstein Castle office building with exemplary personal interest and her own funds. Today, the KRÜGERHAUS is home to the Mineralogical Collection of Germany.
In October 2017, thanks to the outstanding commitment of Dr Erika Krüger, the CHILE-HAUS-FREIBERG, which she also had built from private funds and left to the TU Bergakademie Freiberg for use, was inaugurated. The CHILE-HAUS-FREIBERG will primarily house (post)doctoral students, professors and students from Chile and South America.
Honouring outstanding foundation commitment
Dr Erika Krüger has received several honours for her outstanding commitment to the foundation. On 19 April 2023, she was awarded the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany. In 2012, she was awarded the Saxon Order of Merit and the Medal of Honour of the University City of Freiberg. In 2014, she received an honorary doctorate from the Faculty of Materials Science and Technology at TU Bergakademie Freiberg in recognition of her outstanding achievements. In 2017, she was made an honorary senator of the TU Bergakademie Freiberg.