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.

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by editing the page to add missing items, with references to reliable sources.

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
• Frieda von Bülow (1857–1909), writer
• 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
• Auguste von der Decken (1827-1908), de:Auguste von der Decken, German author and 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

• Helene von Falkenhausen (1873-1945), de: Helene von Falkenhausen, German novelist
• 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
• Heike Geißler (born 1977), novelist and essayist
• Adine Gemberg (1858–1902) feminist novelist
• Doris Gercke (1937–2025), 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
• Antonie Jüngst (1843-1918), writer and poet

K

• Anja Kampmann (born 1983), poet, novelist
• 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 (1954–2023), novelist
• Mechtilde Lichnowsky (1879–1958), poet, playwright, essayist
• Adda von Liliencron (1844–1913), de:Adda von Liliencron, writer
• 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 (1945–2024), 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 (1927–2025), 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), fiction, non-fiction, and children's writer, psychologist
• 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
• Ruth Weiss (1924–1925), German-born South African writer, novels, young adult books, memoirs
• Anna Elisabet Weirauch (1887–1970), playwright, novelist
• Ruth Westheimer (born Karola Siegel, 1928–2024), 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

See also

• List of women writers
• List of Austrian women writers
• List of Swiss women writers
• List of Luxembourg women writers
• List of German-language authors

References

1. Sleeman, Elizabeth (2001). The International Who's Who of Women 2002. p. 70. ISBN   1857431227.
2. 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.