Barbara Krause (later Wanja, born on 7 July 1959 in East Berlin) is a former freestyle swimmer from East Germany. She was a three-time Olympic gold medalist and eight-time world record holder. At the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, Krause won gold medals in the 100 m and 200 m freestyle and in the 4×100 m freestyle relay. Her husband, Lutz Wanja, is also a retired German Olympic swimmer.

East German doping

Krause, like many of the East German athletes of that time, was doped by her coaches under instruction from the Stasi. At the time of the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal Krause was forced off the East German swimming team because "team doctors had miscalculated her dose of drugs and worried she might test positive at the Games". Both of her children were born with deformed feet, which was later attributed to her use of steroids.