Ackermann was born in
Völklingen on 2 February 1937, She studied languages, theology,
pedagogy, and psychology. In 1977, she earned a PhD in pedagogy at the
LMU Munich with a dissertation about education in Rwanda. She worked as a teacher in Rwanda and Kenya, where she came into contact with women who were victims of sexual exploitation, human trafficking, sex tourism, and forced prostitution. In 1985, together with
SAC, she founded the organisation in
Mombasa, living a life of "solidarity with women in distress". The project offers counseling and education to help women get back on their feet. Ackermann later founded with Agnes Mailu a sub-project to help girls, Solgidi (Solidarity with girls in distress). After her return to Germany in 1987, she founded Solwodi Deutschland, which developed into an organisation operating in 18 locations, with state associations in
North Rhine-Westphalia, Lower Saxony,
Rhineland-Palatine, Bavaria,
Baden-Württemberg, and Berlin. They take care of women who came to Germany as refugees or immigrants, who have experienced sexual exploitation, forced prostitution, and
forced marriage. The women receive social and psychological care, medical and legal support, and help in finding jobs and homes. She was heard as an expert in the
Bundestag parliament in 2013, where she demanded the right of residence for all victims of forced prostitution from non-EU countries. She held lectures and directed Solwodi until the age of 85. Ackermann appeared without a nun's
habit, wearing only a cross as a necklace. She was a resident of
Hirzenach, where she lived in a former priest's house among vineyards. Due to health reasons, she moved to a senior citizens' home in
Trier a few weeks before she died. Ackermann died in a hospital in Trier on 31 October 2023, at age 86. == Awards ==