Zellmer was born as the daughter of a working-class family. After attending primary school, she completed a commercial apprenticeship and subsequently worked as a retail saleswoman. In 1950, she took over the management of a youth sales outlet in Cottbus.[1]
In June 1947, she became a member of the ruling Socialist Unity Party (SED).[1][2][3] From 1952 to 1965, she served as the secretary of the Bezirk Frankfurt (Oder) Democratic Women's League of Germany (DFD),[1][4] a SED-controlled mass organization.
After studying at the SED's "Karl Marx" Party Academy and graduating with a diploma in social sciences (Dipl.-Ges.-Wiss.) in 1965,[1][3] she was assigned as secretary to the Bezirk Frankfurt (Oder) Council,[1] making her a full-time member of the Bezirk government.
In February 1966, she was made secretary for Agitation and Propaganda of the Bezirk Frankfurt (Oder) SED,[1][2][3][5] succeeding Wilfried Maaß,[1] who had been appointed deputy minister for culture.[6] In 1967, she was one of only three women among the 119 members of the SED Bezirk secretariats.[7]
She additionally became a candidate member of the Central Committee of the SED in June 1971 (VIII. Party Congress)[2][3] and a full member in June 1975,[3][8] serving until its collective resignation in December 1989.[1]
During her 22-year tenure as secretary, she wrote two books about Bezirk Frankfurt (Oder).
Zellmer was awarded the Patriotic Order of Merit in bronze in 1969 and in silver in 1976.[1][9]
On 28 September 1988, Bezirk Frankfurt (Oder) SED First Secretary Hans-Joachim Hertwig surprisingly died at the age of 60. Second Secretary Günter Grell was unusually passed over in favor of Zellmer, who was elected to succeeded Hertwig on 3 November 1988.[1][3][10][11]
It was the first and only time that a woman became the First Secretary of a Bezirk SED.[11]
During the Peaceful Revolution, on 11 November 1989, she and the entire Bezirk Frankfurt (Oder) SED Secretariat resigned,[1][12][13] citing their shared responsibility for the accumulated problems in the Bezirk as the reason for their resignation.[13] Zellmer asked Bernd Meier, party secretary at the Schwedt Petrochemical Combine, to succeed her.[12][13][14]
Zellmer passed away in Frankfurt (Oder) in 2002 at the age of 71.[1]
