Valerie Zähndler, a bike messenger who worked in Berlin and Basel, Switzerland, died on March 21, 2005, after a two-and-a-half-year battle with cancer. She was 30 years old.
Zähndler spent more than a decade as a messenger, initially working with Beamer in Basel before relocating to Messenger in Berlin. Colleagues remember her as a dedicated and resilient worker, continuing to pursue projects even when facing health challenges. She was actively involved in building a Berlin-based messenger association and creating a zine for the local messenger community, though these efforts reportedly did not receive widespread support.
The news of Zähndler’s death prompted an outpouring of remembrance from within the international bike messenger community. Patrick-Michel von Arx, a colleague, requested that messages be sent to her family and provided contact information for those wishing to send condolences or inquire about funeral arrangements, which were planned for April 7 in Basel.
Zähndler’s passing occurred within a period of loss for bike messengers, with Valerie Zingg, another messenger from Switzerland, dying of cancer the previous year. Bernie Zeblium, a Philadelphia-based messenger, also succumbed to cancer in August 2004. Lee Mallory, known as “Prez,” died of liver cancer on the same day as Zähndler, March 21, 2005.
A memorial post remembering Zähndler was shared on social media on March 21, 2025, marking the 20th anniversary of her death. The post, shared by messmedia on Instagram, received numerous likes, and comments.
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