Die Ost-Frau

Gender plays a central role in negotiations about East German identity(ies). From the late 1990 s to the 2020 s, numerous books have been published dealing with the nature of the so-called East German woman. Using selected examples, the article analyses the literature on East German women. Taking the ideal of gender equality propagated by the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED) as its starting point, the narrative constructs East German women as symbols of successful female emancipation, characterised by a triad of professional life, success and achievement. However, this narrative is primarily a media construction. As such, it is a reaction to the devaluation of the life experiences and achievements of women in the former GDR as well as during the post-GDR transformation. At the same time, it is the result of a controversial identity debate about what it means to be East German.