Eva Strittmatter (née Braun; 8 February 1930 – 3 January 2011) was a German writer of poetry, prose, and children's literature. Her books of poems sold millions of copies, reportedly making her the most successful German poet of the second half of the 20th century.

Life

From 1947-51, she studied German and Romance studies as well as Pedagogy at the Humboldt University of Berlin. She married in 1950 and had a son, but soon she was divorced. Since 1954 she worked as a freelance writer. She met Erwin Strittmatter (1912–1994). They married in 1956 and had three sons, among them actor and writer Erwin Berner (born 1953). The marriage with Erwin Strittmatter enabled her to relinquish her maiden name, Eva Braun. The marriage to Strittmatter initially overshadowed her own work as a writer, which did not unfold until she reached the age of 40. Following her husband's death in 1994, Strittmatter edited works from his estate.

Awards and honours

Strittmatter was awarded the Heinrich Heine prize of the Ministry for culture of the GDR in 1975.

Works

Poetry

Prose

Children's books

Sources