Morgner, Irmtraud (1933–1990)

East German novelist and feminist. Born Aug 22, 1933, into working-class family in Chemnitz, Germany; died May 6, 1990, in Germany; University of Leipzig, BA, 1956; m. Joachim Schreck, 1956 (div. 1970); m. Paul Weins (poet and writer), 1971 (div. 1977); children: David Schreck (b. 1967).

Was assistant editor for a literary magazine published by German Democratic Republic Writers Federation in East Berlin (1956–58); published The Signal Stands on Travel (1959) and A House at the Edge of the City (1962), which conformed to the strictures of Communist realism; disillusioned with socialism, wrote novel Rumba auf einen Herbst (Rumba on an Autumn), which was banned by state censors (1965) and published posthumously (1992); broke free of conventions to create satirical iconoclastic novels, such as Wedding in Constantinople (1968) and Gauklerlegende (1970); with 2nd husband, moved to Paris (1971), then Soviet Union (1974); published most famous novel Trobadora Beatriz (1974), for which she won Heinrich Mann Prize; divorced 2nd husband (1977) after discovering that he was turning over information on literary friends to Stasi officials; awarded German Democratic Republic's National Prize for Literature (1978); traveled to US, giving readings at many universities (1984); received Hroswitha of Gandersheim Literary Award (1985); lived to see German reunification but soon died of cancer after prolonged illness; also wrote Das heroische Testament: Roman in Fragmenten (The Heroic Will: Novel in Fragments, 1966), Amanda: A Witch Novel (1983), Die Hexe im Landhaus: Gespräch in Solothurn (1984, The Witch in the Country House).