Consultation Hour with Elke Prinz

As an ‘emancipation from above,’ gender equality was part of the official family and social policy of the GDR. Yet homosexuality, as in West Germany, remained taboo. How did queer East German women create spaces where they could love and live freely? What can we learn from their experiences for the present day, when queer life continues to be under pressure, if not more so? How has the situation evolved, and what images of family do queer people confront – then and now?

Elke Prinz knows what it means to shape family beyond normative ideas. Since the late 1990s, she has been active at the women’s centre Weiberwirtschaft of Dornrosa e.V. in Halle, where she is one of the board members. The association provides safe spaces for girls and women, offers counselling, and is a place for learning and exchange. Elke Prinz helped to build up an extensive queer-feminist library there, organises readings, and represents the organisation in various municipal and state committees.

As a contemporary witness, Elke Prinz brings to light the experiences of lesbian women in the GDR. She develops and curates travelling exhibitions on women’s and queer history – sometimes in collaboration with local school students. As one of the protagonists of the documentary Uferfrauen – Lesbian L(i)ves in the GDR, she speaks about unconventional approaches to family and the struggle for self-determination. In addition to a podcast series about the work of Dornrosa, she has been hosting monthly radio shows on women’s and gender equality issues for more than fifteen years. In recognition of her long-standing commitment to an open-minded and democratic society, she was awarded the Federal Cross of Merit in October 2025.

During the Consultation Hour at the Humboldt Forum, you can talk directly with the experts – no appointment or waiting list required! It’s all about relaxed and open exchange with the audience.