Background

Frederike Roth was born on April 6, 1948, in Sindelfingen, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany.

Education

After graduating from high school, Friederike Roth studied philosophy and linguistics at the University of Stuttgart. In 1975 she received her Doctor of Philosophy degree.

Career

From 1976 to 1979 Friederike Roth taught anthropology and sociology at the Fachhochschule Esslingen. Since 1979 she has worked as a dramatic producer for the SDR (South German Radio). She began her career as a writer by producing poetry, and in the ensuing years, she published various verse collections, including Das Buch des Lebens: Ein Plagiat, a trilogy comprised of Liebe und Wald, Erben und Sterben, and Wiese und Macht.

Roth’s first play, Klavierspiele, was performed in 1980. In this stage production, Roth explores such themes as gender and materialism. Among her ensuing plays is Ritt auf die Wartburg (title means "Journey up the Wartburg"), in which a band of women travel from West Germany to East Germany for a vacation. Like Klavierspiele, Ritt auf die Wartburg examines aspects of gender and sexuality, but it also addresses perceptions - and misperceptions - involving East and West Germans.

Her works explore philosophical questions and tensions between elevated and colloquial language. Major themes include feminist concerns, sexual relationships, death, and other aspects of contemporary life. She is a translator of plays from English into German. It represented in anthologies, including Spectaculum 44: Fünf moderne Theaterstücke, edited by Thomas Bernhard and others (1987).

Achievements

• Friederike Roth is known for her use of language, which some critics identify as "feminine." One of her notable plays is Klavierspiele, which was produced as Piano Plays. She has received numerous awards, including the Ingeborg Bachmann Prize.

Works

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  • Tollkirschenhochzeit 1978
  • Schieres Glück 1980
  • Ritt auf die Wartburg 1981
  • Die einzige Geschichte 1983
  • Schattige Gärten 1987
  • Wiese und Macht 1993
  • Abendlandnovelle 2010

Membership

Friederike Roth is a member of the PEN Center Germany.

References

• Encyclopedia of Contemporary German Culture
  1999
• Contemporary Authors
  2010