After attending primary school, she completed a commercial apprenticeship and subsequently worked as a retail saleswoman.
[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.
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.
[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.