List of German women writers

This is a list of women writers who were born in Germany or whose writings are closely associated with it.

A

Maximiliane Ackers (1896–1982), lesbian actress, novelist, scriptwriter
Martha Albrand (1914–1981), novelist
Helene Adler (1849–1923), German Jewish poet and educator
Hannah Arendt (1906–1975), German Jewish political theorist
Bettina von Arnim (1785–1859), writer, novelist
Ludmilla Assing (1785–1859), short story writer, biographer
Anita Augspurg (1857–1943), feminist, lawyer, actress
Elisabeth Augustin (1903–2001), poet, short story writer, novelist, wrote in German and Dutch
Frau Ava (c.1060–1127), first woman writer in German

B

Ingrid Bachér (born 1930), playwright, screenwriter
Bertha Badt-Strauss (1885–1970), journalist, biographer, translator
Amalie Baisch (1859–1904), writer of etiquette guide books
Zsuzsa Bánk (born 1965), novelist
Gertrud Bäumer (1873–1954), writer, feminist
Sybille Bedford (1873–1954), German born English-language novelist, non-fiction writer, memoirist
Maria Beig (1920–2018), novelist
Hedwig von Beit (1896–1973), folklorist
Margot Benary-Isbert (1889–1979), children's writer in German and English
Augusta Bender (1846–1924), writer, poet, folklorist, activist
Josefa Berens-Totenohl (1891–1969), novelist
Sibylle Berg (born 1962), successful novelist, essayist, short story writer, playwright
Dörthe Binkert (born 1949), novelist, non-fiction writer
Charlotte Birch-Pfeiffer (c. 1800–1868), playwright, actress
Anne Birk (1942–2009), novelist
Ilse Blumenthal-Weiss (1899–1987), poet
Helene Böhlau (1859–1940), novelist
Emily Bold (born 1980), novelist
Margarete Böhme (1867–1939), novelist, author of Tagebuch einer Verlorenen
Vera Botterbusch (born 1942), journalist, film producer^[1]
Johanna Braun (1929–2008), German writer
Angelika Brandt (born 1961), deep-sea biologist, non-fiction writer
Lily Braun (1865–1916), feminist writer
Ilse Gräfin von Bredow (1922–2014), novelist and non-fiction writer
Christine Brückner (1921–1996), novelist, short story writer, children's writer
Tissy Bruns (1951–2013), journalist
Traude Bührmann (born 1942), novelist, journalist, translator
Margarethe von Bülow (1860-1884), novelist

C

Marie Calm (1832–1887), instructional book writer, novelist, poet
Elisabeth Castonier (1894–1975), children's writer, journalist, writing in German and English
Helmina von Chézy (1783–1856), poet, playwright, librettist
Helene Christaller (1872–1953), children's novelist
Zehra Çırak (born 1960), Turkish-born German poet, short story writer
Hedwig Courths-Mahler (1867–1950), novelist

D

Utta Danella (1920–2015), novelist
Gertrud David (1872–1936), journalist, filmmaker
Henriette Davidis (1801–1876), cookbook writer
Hilde Domin (1909–2006), poet
Marion Dönhoff (1909–2002), acclaimed journalist, non-fiction writer
Doris Dörrie (born 1955), novelist, film director
Ingeborg Drewitz (1923–1986), playwright, novelist
Annette von Droste-Hülshoff (1797–1848), poet
Anne Duden (born 1942), prose writer and poet
Karen Duve (born 1961), novelist and short story writer

E

Elizabeth Charlotte, Princess Palatine (in German: Liselotte von der Pfalz) (1652–1722), letter writer
Margareta Ebner, (1291–1351), diarist, mystic
Susanna Eger (1640–1713), cook and cookbook writer, author of Leipziger Kochbuch (1706)
Gisela Elsner (1937–1992), novelist
Helene von Engelhardt (1850–1910), Baltic German poet, writer, translator
Aslı Erdoğan (born 1967), human rights activist, novelist, columnist, one novel translated into English
Jenny Erpenbeck (born 1967), novelist
Nataly von Eschstruth (1860–1939), novelist

F

Eva Figes (1932–2012), German-born English novelist, critic, memoirist
Caroline Auguste Fischer (1764–1842), writer and women's rights activist
Marieluise Fleißer (1901–1974), playwright
Meta Forkel-Liebeskind (1765–1853), writer, translator
Julia Franck (born 1970), novelist
Louise von François (1817–1893), novelist
Friederike Fless (born 1964), classical archaeologist
Bella Fromm (1901–1974), journalist, diarist
Cornelia Funke (born 1958), children's writer, author of The Thief Lord, Inkheart series

G

Miriam Gebhardt (born 1962), historian, non-fiction writer
Adine Gemberg (1858 - 1902) feminist novelist
Doris Gercke, (born 1937), pen name Mary-Jo Morell, crime thriller novelist
Karen Gershon, (1923–1993), German-born English poet, novelist, non-fiction writer
Rosa Gilissen-Vanmarcke (1969–2021), historian
Glückel of Hameln (1646–1724), Yiddish-language diarist
Helga Goetze (1922–2008), poet and artist
Claire Goll (1890–1977), German-born poet, novelist, writing in German and French
Natalie Grams (born 1978), German physician, writer, scientific skeptic, former homeopath
Argula von Grumbach (1492–1554), poet, letter writer, first Protestant woman writer
Karoline von Günderrode (1780–1806), poet

H

Ida, Countess of Hahn-Hahn (1805–1880), German novelist
Thea von Harbou (1888–1954), novelist, screenwriter
Petra Hartmann (born 1970), journalist, novelist, children's writer
Elke Hartmann-Puls (1969–2021), historian
Uta-Maria Heim (born 1963), playwright, novelist, poet
Emmy Hennings (1885–1948), poet, performer
Ulrike Henschke (1830–1897), novelist and writer on educational theory.^[2]
Luise Hensel (1798–1876), religious writer, poet
Clara Hepner (1860-1939), children's stories
Judith Hermann (born 1970), short story writer
Elisabeth von Heyking (1861–1925), novelist, travel writer, diarist
Hildegard of Bingen (1098–1179), mystic, playwright, poet writing in Latin
Wilhelmine von Hillern (1836–1916), actress, novelist, short story writer
Karla Höcker (1901–1992), novelist, biographer
Barbara Honigmann (born 1949), novelist
Hrotsvith von Gandersheim (c.935–c.1002), dramatist, poet, writing in Latin
Therese Huber (1764–1829), novelist, short story writer, essayist, translator
Ricarda Huch (1864–1947), historian, novelist, poet

J

Margarethe Jodl (1859–1937), writer and women's rights activist

K

Yadé Kara (born 1965), Turkish-German novelist
Anna Louisa Karsch (1722–1791), poet, letter writer
Marie Luise Kaschnitz (1901–1974), leading post-war poet, short story writer, essayist
Judith Kerr (1923–2019), German-born children's writer in English
Hedwig Kettler (1851–1937), short story writer, activist, education reformer
Irmgard Keun (1905–1982), novelist
Johanna Kinkel (1810–1858), novelist, non-fiction works on music, autobiographer
Sarah Kirsch (1935–2013), poet, translator
Karin Kiwus (born 1942), poet
Ines Köhler-Zülch (1941–2019), folklorist
Annette Kolb (1870–1967), novelist, pacifist, non-fiction writer
Gertrud Kolmar (1894–1943), poet
Clementine Krämer (1873–1942), short story writer, poet, social worker, activist
Ursula Krechel (born 1947), poet, novelist, playwright, critic
Brigitte Kronauer (1940–2019), novelist
Isolde Kurz (1853–1944), acclaimed poet, short story writer

L

Vera Lachmann (1904–1985), poet, classicist, educator
Hedwig Lachmann (1865–1918), author, translator and poet
Nuray Lale (born 1962), Turkish-German writer, translator
Ruth Landshoff (1904–1966), German-American actress, novelist, poet, columnist, wrote in German and English
Katja Lange-Müller (born 1951), novelist
Elisabeth Langgässer (1899–1950), poet, novelist
Sophie von La Roche (1730–1807), novelist
Else Lasker-Schüler (1869–1945), poet, playwright
Gertrud von Le Fort (1876–1971), novelist, poet, essayist
Katerina Lemmel (1466–1533), letter-writer, nun
Ellen Lenneck (1851–1880), novelist, short story writer
Fanny Lewald (1811–1889), novelist, feminist
Sonia Levitin (born 1934), German-born English-language children's and young adults' writer, essayist
Sibylle Lewitscharoff (born 1954), novelist
Mechtilde Lichnowsky (1879–1958), poet, playwright, essayist
Angela Litschev (born 1978), Bulgarian-born German poet
Cornelia Lüdecke (born 1954), polar researcher, historian

M

Heidrun E. Mader (born 1977), German theologian
Erika Mann (1905–1969), anti-Nazi writer, performer, daughter of Thomas Mann
E. Marlitt (Eugenie John, 1825–1877), novelist
Monika Maron (born 1941), essayist, political writer
Petra Mathers (born 1945), German-born American children's writer, illustrator
Mechthild of Magdeburg (c.1207–c.1282/94), mystic, writing in Low German
Mechthild of Hackeborn (1240/41–1298), religious writer in Latin
Sophie Mereau (1770–1806), novelist, poet
Malwida von Meysenbug (1816–1903), political writer, memoirist
Agnes Miegel (1879–1964), journalist, writer, poet
Jo Mihaly (1902–1989), diarist, novelist, dancer
Irmtraud Morgner (1933–1990), novelist
Petra Morsbach (born 1956), novelist
Lisel Mueller (1924–2020), German-born American poet
Luise Mühlbach (1814–1873), historical novelist, many works translated into English
Inge Müller (1925–1966), poet, playwright, children's writer
Herta Müller (born 1953), Romanian-born German novelist, poet, and essayist, Nobel Prize winner

N

Benedikte Naubert (1752–1819), historical novelist
Friederike Caroline Neuber (1697–1760), playwright, actress
Hildegard Maria Nickel (born 1948), sociologist specializing in gender studies
Charlotte Niese (1854–1935), non-fiction writer, poet
Ingrid Noll (born 1935), novelist
Helga M. Novak (1935–2013), poet, political writer

O

Katja Oskamp (born 1970), novelist and short story writer
Louise Otto-Peters (1819–1895), poet, journalist, feminist
Angelika Overath (born 1957), author, journalist
Emine Sevgi Özdamar (born 1946), Turkish-born German novelist, playwright

P

Henriette Paalzow (1788–1847), historical novelist
Peggy Parnass (born 1927), actress, columnist, court reporter, short story writer, memoirist
Annette Pehnt (born 1967), literary critic
Marie Petersen (1816–1859), story writer, author of the fairy tale Princess Ilse
Luise von Ploennies (1803–1872), poet, translator
Karla Poewe (born 1941), anthropologist, non-fiction writer
Luise F. Pusch (born 1944), linguist, feminist, essayist

R

Elisa von der Recke (Elisabeth Recke) (1754–1833), writer, poet from Courland
Eva Gabriele Reichmann (1897–1998), historian, works on anti-Semitism
Brigitte Reimann (1933–1973), novelist
Annemarie Reinhard (1921–1976), novelist, children's writer
Christa Reinig (1926–2008), poet, novelist, non-fiction writer, playwright
Gabriele Reuter (1859–1941), novelist, essayist, children's writer
Jutta Richter (born 1955), children's writer
Brigitte Riebe (also Laura Stern) (born 1953), novelist
Luise Rinser (1911–2002), novelist, autobiographer, children's writer
Ruth Margarete Roellig (1878–1969), novelist, travel writer, journalist
Anna Rosmus (born 1960), non-fiction writer, works on Nazi treatment of Jews
Friederike Roth (born 1948), playwright
Alice Rühle-Gerstel (1894–1943), journalist, psychologist, feminist
Anna Rüling, pen name of Theo Anna Sprüngli (1880–1953), journalist, LGBT activist

S

Lessie Sachs (1897–1942), poet and artist
Nelly Sachs (1891–1970), poet, playwright
Rahel Sanzara, (1894–1936), novelist
Oda Schaefer (1900–1988), poet, journalist
Maria Sophia Schellhammer (bapt. 1647–1719), cookbook writer
Caroline Schelling (1763–1809), essayist, critic, correspondent
Dorothea von Schlegel (1764–1839), novelist, translator
Elke Schmitter (born 1961), novelist
Elizabeth of Schönau (1129–1165), visionary writing in Latin
Amalie Schoppe (1791–1858), children's writer
Claudia Schoppmann (born 1958), historian, nonfiction writer
Martina Schradi (born 1972), writer, cartoonist
Adele Schreiber-Krieger (1872–1957), journalist, screenwriter, politician
Angelika Schrobsdorff (1927–2016), best selling novelist, actress
Helga Schubert (born 1940), novelist
Sibylla Schwarz (1621–1638), Baroque poet
Anna Seghers (1900–1983), novelist, author of The Seventh Cross
Marie Simon (1824–1877), nurse and writer
Angela Sommer-Bodenburg (born 1948), children's writer, author of The Little Vampire
Gesine Spieß (1945–2016), educationalist specializing in gender studies
Ilse von Stach (1879–1941), playwright, novelist, poet
Charlotte von Stein, (1742–1827), dramatist, friend of Goethe
Gisela Steineckert (born 1931), poet, songwriter
Ginka Steinwachs (born 1942), novelist, playwright, nonfiction writer
Eva Strittmatter (1930–2011), poet, children's writer
Antje Rávic Strubel (born 1974), novelist
Karin Struck (1947–2006), short story writer, novelist
Herma Studeny (1886–1973) poet, nonfiction writer

T

Fanny Tarnow (1779–1862), short story writer, playwright
Renata Thiele (born c.1960), Polish-born German novelist, short story writer, editor
Adrienne Thomas, pen name of Hertha A. Deutsch (1897–1980), autobiographical novelist
Dorothea Tieck (1799–1841), translator of Shakespeare
Canan Topçu (born 1965), Turkish-German writer, works on Turkish immigration in German

V

Rahel Varnhagen (1771–1833), essayist, correspondent
Clara Viebig (1862–1952), novelist, playwright
Hermine Villinger (1849-1917), novelist and short story writer
Helene Voigt-Diederichs (1875–1961), travel writer, novelist, short story writer

W

Marianne Weber (1870–1954), women's rights activist, nonfiction writer
Ruth Weiss (1928–2020), German-born American poet, performer, playwright
Anna Elisabet Weirauch (1887–1970), playwright, novelist
Ruth Westheimer (born Karola Siegel, 1928), German-American sex therapist, talk show host, author, professor, Holocaust survivor, and former Haganah sniper.
Ottilie Wildermuth (1817–1877), children's writer, novelist, biographer
Gabriele Wohmann (1932–2015), novelist, short story writer
Christa Wolf (1929–2011), novelist, critic, essayist
Caroline von Wolzogen (1763–1847), novelist, biographer
Mathilde Wurm (1874–1935), politician, journalist

Y

Barbara Yelin (born 1977), cartoonist

Z

Sidonia Hedwig Zäunemann (1711–1740), poet
Susanna Elizabeth Zeidler (1657–c.1706), poet
Juli Zeh (born 1974), novelist, author of Eagles and Angels
Eva Zeller (1923–2022), poet, novelist
Hedda Zinner (also Elisabeth Frank, 1905–1994), political writer
Kathinka Zitz-Halein (1801–1877), poet, biographer
Unica Zürn (1916–1970), poet, artist

References

^ Sleeman, Elizabeth (2001). The International Who's Who of Women 2002. p. 70. ISBN 1857431227.
^ von Rosling, Elly Frelin (1931). "Ulrike Henschke zur 100. Wiederkehr ihres Geburtstages". Die Frau: Monatsschrift für das gesamte Frauenleben unserer Zeit (in German). 38: 170–171.