 Emmi Handke resigned from her Central Committee work in 1956 in order to devote herself to her voluntary work, which continued to be focused on Concentration Camp survivors both within East Germany and internationally.Although her work for the Central Committee was not combined with any political office, in 1947 Emmi Handke became the first spokesperson for the "Ravensbrück Camp Community" (""Lagergemeinschaft Ravensbrück"").The next year she became a member of the secretariat of the Berlin branch of the Democratic Women's League (""Demokratischer Frauenbund Deutschlands"" / DFD).