Women as Human Beings

It is night-time in the south of France. Jina sits at her desk, phone in hand. Her Instagram feed updates...

It is night-time in the south of France. Jina sits at her desk, phone in hand. Her Instagram feed updates every second. She reads: ‘Jina Mahsa Amini was beaten into a coma by the morality police in Tehran.’ In the next moment, she realises: the young woman with the same name as her is dead. The images follow in the feed: the protest march of thousands of people on the streets, girls and women wearing their hair uncovered, including Jina's sister Roya and her niece Nika.What begins as an attempt to understand the present becomes a journey into the past. For the events awaken memories in Jina of her own stays in Iran: of the hospitality of the people, her aunts' richly laid tables, encounters in shared taxis, the road trip to Zarathustra's fire temple in Yazd – and a secret love. But also of the protests during the Green Movement in 2009, in which Jina took part and which became a defining life experience.

Im Herzen der Katze is a family and love story that questions notions of nationality and belonging, of womanhood and freedom. With poetic intensity, Jina Khayyer tells of courage, solidarity and responsibility, and of the lingering echoes of a homeland that cannot be shaken off.

The showdown of the Anthropocene seems imminent: against the backdrop of climate crisis and wars, a handful of power-hungry and...

The showdown of the Anthropocene seems imminent: against the backdrop of climate crisis and wars, a handful of power-hungry and unscrupulous politicians, in league with ruthless tech billionaires, threaten to drive the world into the ground. What do all these actors of unprecedented global influence have in common? Without exception, they are men. Ignoring this white elephant in the room means that all activism is futile, because it is not humans who have the Earth in a stranglehold, but patriarchy! Overcoming it would mean tackling the most serious global problems in a concerted manner. 

Until recently, slavery, racism, colonialism and imperialism seemed ‘without alternative’, but they have been largely overcome because they were exposed as abuses unworthy of the human species. Why should this not also be possible with patriarchy? 

In her passionate essay, Gertraud Klemm takes matriarchal societies from the past and present as a model for her announcement of the end of the Phallocene – a powerful thought experiment on matriarchal inspiration, patriarchal deconstruction and the necessity of colonial reversal.

A woman faces one of the most difficult questions: the decision for or against having a child! ...

A woman faces one of the most difficult questions: the decision for or against having a child! 

A young woman – an abortion, a child, no partner – is pregnant. That is a fact, it is tangible and seems quite clear, even though nothing else is clear. The woman, Laura, is at university, writing her dissertation and working part-time in a gynaecological practice. Day after day, she cares for pregnant women there, seeing their shame, their patience, their joy, their fear. For some, it is the greatest happiness; for others, a catastrophe. For Laura, it is both. She loves her child, but she panics at the thought of having another. And how could it be otherwise? Isn't every woman actually prepared to raise her child alone?

Age is not the end, but a new beginning. Women such as Vivian Gornick, Jane Campbell, Carmen Herrera, Lucinda Childs...

Age is not the end, but a new beginning. Women such as Vivian Gornick, Jane Campbell, Carmen Herrera, Lucinda Childs and Ulrike Edschmid demonstrate this.  Some have reinvented themselves, others have continued on their path and achieved international breakthroughs as artists and writers in their old age. They have been gifting the world with stories, images and films for decades, yet often remain unknown. They are courageous, demand nothing, but take what they need. 

However, old women are by no means always well regarded in our society. Role models? There are hardly any – apart from the friendly grandmother. The older women are, the more they disappear from public view. And they only reappear when they approach their hundredth birthday or make a career as eccentrics on TikTok. What old women really are: feminists, lovers, fighters, non-conformists, often also late ‘discoveries’. It's high time to get to know them. Verena Lueken traces the inspiring life stories of writers and artists in all their passion and vitality: a book about freedom in old age beyond social clichés.

The stronger women become, the greater the hatred towards them...

The stronger women become, the greater the hatred towards them

Private, digital, political – the forms of violence are not new, but today it is directed against women because they have equal rights. This historical shift has activated fierce counterforces: successful men from upper-class circles, Gen Z youth and political institutions in democratic states. The backlash is all the more violent in places where equality has been particularly effective. The US Supreme Court has banned abortion rights, the police are reporting a sharp rise in domestic violence, and fantasies of killing women are trending on TikTok. 

The thesis: this backlash is a reaction to increasing equality. How can this vicious circle be broken? Journalist Susanne Kaiser tells the whole story and outlines possible solutions.

Muse, secretary, wife – there are many terms for women whose influence has been erased from history. For whose achievements...

Muse, secretary, wife – there are many terms for women whose influence has been erased from history. For whose achievements men received the awards and applause: female scientists whose accomplishments, unlike those of their male colleagues, were not recognised. Female authors who hid behind male pseudonyms. Or female artists who have been forgotten in the shadow of their husbands. Historian Leonie Schöler tells their stories in a lively and entertaining way, revealing who the women are who have truly advanced our society to this day. And she highlights the importance of the discussion about participation and visibility. It becomes clear that behind every successful man there is a system that encourages him; ahead of everyone else there is a system that holds them back.

With numerous illustrations and info boxes.

Women bleed. They bleed every day, whether literally or figuratively, as working mums, in care work, because their cycle demands...

Women bleed. They bleed every day, whether literally or figuratively, as working mums, in care work, because their cycle demands it, as victims of violence, or simply as people who do not conform to social norms. The blood flows: when we are not pregnant again, or fortunately not pregnant, when we have had an abortion or just given birth, when we were too loud at home or not quick enough on our way home at night, when the menopause is approaching or we don't feel the desire to have children and thus cause offence...

In their texts, 15 authors tell of struggles and resistance, rebel, write sometimes gently, sometimes disturbingly, humorously and differently about the everyday nature of bleeding: about poverty in old age, violence, (not) being a mother, menstruation, menopause, the struggle for the right to exist and fair treatment in the world of work. This is our daily blood. This anthology is an outburst, a breath of fresh air, harsh reality and boundless imagination.

With literary contributions by: Elif Duygu, Milena Michiko Flašar, Yasmin Hafedh, Lydia Haider, Gertraud Klemm, Johanna Linimayr, Lydia Mittermayr, Jacinta Nandi, Lisa-Viktoria Niederberger, Romina Pleschko, Julya Rabinowich, Barbara Rieger, Chantal-Fleur Sandjon, Margit Schreiner and Magdalena Stammler.

One in eight women will develop breast cancer during their lifetime. And yet there is often a lack of information...

One in eight women will develop breast cancer during their lifetime. And yet there is often a lack of information that is both medically sound and accessible to the general public.

‘Das Ende der Unversehrtheit’ (The End of Integrity) is a sensitive graphic novel about living with a diagnosis of breast cancer. Gynaecologist and breast cancer survivor Dr Bärbel Grashoff weaves personal experiences with medical knowledge – openly, clearly and courageously. Together with illustrator Marie Luisa Kerkhoff, she has created a visually impressive work that alleviates fear, fosters understanding and allows for closeness. The text and images make the key stages of the disease process easy to understand: from the initial diagnosis to therapies such as surgery, radiation, chemotherapy and anti-hormonal treatment, to topics such as body image, sexuality, mental health, side effects, complementary medicine and the role of relatives.

Special feature: the book is designed as a sensitive reversible book – the second part contains clear instructions on early detection of breast cancer and self-examination. A non-fiction comic for those affected, relatives and anyone who wants to take a closer look. 

The story of a courageous young woman set against the backdrop of the 1960s. ...

The story of a courageous young woman set against the backdrop of the 1960s. 

Bookseller Amanda has her routine: the coffee prepared by Horst, the head bookseller, the books, the evenings with her grandmother. Amanda ignores the fact that she is expected to marry and have children soon, because in 1965 in Bielefeld, you cannot be a working woman and Gisbert's wife at the same time. But then she is offered the opportunity to take over the shop of her boss, Otto Angler. As she sets about establishing her own modern bookshop, she encounters some resistant gentlemen who soon realise that they have underestimated the intelligence and courage of the young lady.

Shortly before the end of the year, the Senate's letter of approval arrives on her kitchen table: she has a...

Shortly before the end of the year, the Senate's letter of approval arrives on her kitchen table: she has a year off in a year's time. She wants to travel, alone – to Vietnam, perhaps? Away from her job as a teacher, which she loves. Away from her cosy Berlin nest, where Darling and Kim are, without whom she cannot imagine her life. She hasn't told her husband and child about the plan yet.

Anette Selg tells the story of a woman in mid-life who follows a longing. To feel once again what does not come to the fore as a partner, teacher, mother. When did that happen? Back when she was an au pair in Aix? Backpacking in Thailand, with friends in Italy? Between family and work life, reading and travel preparations, memories come flooding back in the year before she leaves. Of 1984, of having sex for the first time, of Hagen, who wanted to love more than one woman, of Kim's birth and the death of her grandmother. Small and big events, beautiful and terrible ones. A year in which the narrator learns how she became the woman she is. Until the past and present collide – and her entire reality is called into question.

Ann-Katrin Berger is 27 years old when she is diagnosed with cancer. Just a few weeks after treatment, the German...

Ann-Katrin Berger is 27 years old when she is diagnosed with cancer. Just a few weeks after treatment, the German goalkeeper is back on the pitch. Four years later, the cancer returns. For Ann-Katrin, the fight against the disease is like a decisive football match that she absolutely must win. She emerges victorious from the game of her life, stronger than ever before. 

After her outstanding performance at the 2024 Summer Olympics, the national goalkeeper is celebrated as a penalty heroine and named Germany's Footballer of the Year. A year later, she makes football history again with spectacular saves at the Women's European Championship. 

In her inspiring autobiography, Ann-Katrin shows that it is truly worthwhile not to give up faith in yourself, even in moments of great crisis. A testament to immense credibility – and a celebration not only for sports enthusiasts.

With the birth of her child, a young woman sees the world differently. Words fade away as love and fantasies...

With the birth of her child, a young woman sees the world differently. Words fade away as love and fantasies of loss take hold. Only now does she realise how silent her mother and grandmother are in life. How they failed to tell their own stories. How questions of belonging and rupture constantly seep in. With tentative precision, she approaches the speechless mysteries, tracing their lives sensually and relentlessly amid the fog of her memories. For how can a child know where it is going if it does not know where it comes from? 

In her new novel, Paulina Czienskowski uses cyclical movements to show what it means to become an echo – three women, three mothers and a new life that is revealed as if everything were lined with mirror foil.

‘This is a book about a mother, and a book that fathers should read. It is a book by a daughter, a book about the body, shame, finding strength and weakness. It is a book about being a child. It is a book in which someone finds language where otherwise there is only feeling.’ Saša Stanišić

It came as quite a surprise when the German Publishers and Booksellers Association honoured Die Frau als Mensch as the...

It came as quite a surprise when the German Publishers and Booksellers Association honoured Die Frau als Mensch as the best non-fiction book of the year. This was the first time ever that a comic book had been nominated in this category – and it promptly won. In its statement, the jury wrote: ‘The long-prevailing view of humans as male is in fundamental need of revision, and this book demonstrates this through an original interweaving of scientific findings from archaeology, anthropology and art history, repeatedly inspired by everyday experiences.’ Ulli Lust goes back to early history and shows that human history was by no means always dominated by men. With its mixture of narrative comics and supplementary factual text, the book became a bestseller.

Acclaimed film icon Jeanne Patou learns from television that she is believed to be dead. For Jeanne, this is a...

Acclaimed film icon Jeanne Patou learns from television that she is believed to be dead. For Jeanne, this is a chance to go into hiding and escape her husband, who is both her greatest obsession and her most fatal passion. She disappears into anonymity – and into a cosmos of women in hiding, with whom she shares an old house in Barcelona. As she learns about their fates, her own becomes increasingly clear.Four and a half years later, Jeanne is wandering along La Rambla, a passer-by among many, when she suddenly encounters her husband. She realises that she must face up to him – but above all, to herself.

The Passers-by is an empathetic, fast-paced and angry novel about self-discovery, becoming strong, emancipation, emerging from entrenched structures in order to find one's true core.

Hedda has fought hard to achieve her dream: to be an artist at the Alkazar on the Reeperbahn. But nothing...

Hedda has fought hard to achieve her dream: to be an artist at the Alkazar on the Reeperbahn. But nothing matters more than when the new uniforms appear in the audience as a matter of course in the 1930s. Freedoms are becoming more restricted and it is also becoming dangerous for the girls in the variety show. Who can Hedda still trust? Her brother Jaan signs on as a harpoon smith on a whaling ship for a voyage to Antarctica. And Hedda also searches for a way out for herself and her little brother Pauli. 

Anja Kampmann tells a story of female self-assertion in a thoroughly male-dominated era in an incomparably atmospheric language that is not lacking in lightness.

Love – it has been passionately celebrated in songs for centuries, praised in literature, and glorified in films, even in...

Love – it has been passionately celebrated in songs for centuries, praised in literature, and glorified in films, even in its most toxic forms. Despite its volatility and relatively short duration, we have made romantic love a central model for social organisation. Romantic love is what is constantly hammered into our brains from an early age as an indispensable part of happiness and fulfilment in life.

Yet its reality is anything but romantic – especially for women.

Heteroromantic relationships create a framework in which women take on two-thirds of unpaid work, earn less and slip into dependency. Unmarried women without children, on the other hand, are the happiest and healthiest demographic. They have a higher life expectancy than married women, while married men live longer than unmarried men. Romantic relationships with men harm women: health-wise, emotionally and economically.

A provocative angry essay from a feminist perspective

In this magnificent essay, Beatrice Frasl addresses these injustices and calls for a rethink. Because romantic love is a patriarchal indoctrination campaign whose narrative has prevailed for centuries. How fortunate that we don't need it. That we can decide for ourselves what love means to us.

100 years of Bauhaus Dessau!...

100 years of Bauhaus Dessau!

In 1925, the Bauhaus moved from its founding location in Weimar to Dessau, and the Bauhaus masters and their wives moved with them. Ise Gropius took over guided tours and events at the school, pianist Lily Klee hosted house concerts, Lou Scheper and “El Muche” were painters, Julia Feininger designed dolls, Lucia Moholy-Nagy and Gertrud Arndt made a name for themselves as photographers, Anni Albers and Gunta Stölzl as textile artists and Bauhaus masters.

In the fresh wind of modernism, the women – often to the displeasure of their husbands, who were not always progressive in their private lives – found a new self-image, a new role, and became living role models of the “New Woman”.

With numerous black-and-white photos.

Revolution has a female face: Shila Behjat's lively reportage shows what the world can learn from the courage of women...

Revolution has a female face: Shila Behjat's lively reportage shows what the world can learn from the courage of women – a call for feminism of strength!From Iran to Belarus, from Fridays for Future to the major debates on discrimination – revolutions and social change processes today often have a female face. Starting with the courageous women in Iran, award-winning journalist Shila Behjat explores the unique characteristics of female protest. Conversations with the leaders of these movements result in a lively report that shows that even under the most adverse circumstances, women are no longer just victims, but protagonists of history. Has the female era long since dawned?

Women and Revolution is a passionate plea for a new image of women, a feminism of strength and female solidarity that knows no national borders.

Throughout her life, Ela literally stood in her mother's shadow. Her father was convinced that her mother's overweight body was...

Throughout her life, Ela literally stood in her mother's shadow. Her father was convinced that her mother's overweight body was responsible for the misfortune of the entire family. Now Ela is an adult, and it is her own sick body that causes her despair. Shortly before completing her doctorate, Ela experiences a breakdown. While she unconsciously struggles with the question of whether she really deserves her place in the academic world, her body rebels: her throat, her heart, her skin – Ela is on fire and falls into ever greater panic. Like the story of her mother, to whom Daniela Dröscher dedicated her highly successful novel Lügen über meine Mutter (Lies About My Mother), Ela's late self-discovery and self-empowerment is masterfully constructed as autofiction, psychologically compelling and delightfully funny.

Sexual desire is considered a measure of intimacy, relationship quality and personal fulfilment. But what happens when it is absent?...

Sexual desire is considered a measure of intimacy, relationship quality and personal fulfilment. But what happens when it is absent? When we don't feel like having sex, even though ‘everything is fine’? When ‘I'm tired’ is just a euphemism for something we can hardly put into words ourselves? Even in her youth, Maria Popov never really felt like having sex with men and comes across a word that describes her feelings for the first time: asexuality. But what exactly does that mean? In ‘Kein Bock Club’ (No Desire Club), the presenter talks about her first period, failed attempts at flirting, exciting ear massages – and the relief of realising: I'm not alone with all these feelings. This book is for you if you ask yourself:Why is sexual aversion often seen as a problem?How do social expectations influence our sex lives?Why do many people feel compelled to conform to certain norms?Do we really all have to be feminist sex goddesses?