Germaine Goetzinger (born 1947) is a Luxembourg writer, historian, educator and

feminist Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism incorporates the position that society prioritizes the male po ...

. From 1995 to 2012, she headed Luxembourg's

National Literature Centre The National Literature Centre ( lb, Lëtzebuerger Literaturarchiv, french: Centre national de littérature), abbreviated CNL, is the national literary archive of Luxembourg. It is based in the town of Mersch, about 15 kilometers to the north of L ...

. In 2011, she was awarded the ''Lëtzebuerger Bicherpräis'' (Luxembourg Book Prize) for fostering collaboration in literary circles and for her outstanding contribution to documentary and analytical research into Luxembourg's literature.

Biography

Born on 5 May 1947 in

Dudelange Dudelange (; lb, Diddeleng , german: Düdelingen) is a commune with town status in southern Luxembourg. It is the fourth-most populous commune, with 19,734 inhabitants. Dudelange is situated close to the border with France. , the town of Dudela ...

, Luxembourg, Germaine Goetzinger matriculated from the Lycée de jeunes filles at

Esch-sur-Alzette Esch-sur-Alzette (; lb, Esch-Uelzecht ; german: Esch an der Alzette or ''Esch an der Alzig'') is the second city of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and the country's second-most populous commune, with a population of 35,040 inhabitants, . It lies ...

in 1966. After teacher training in

Walferdange Walferdange ( lb, Walfer ; german: Walferdingen) is a commune and small town in central Luxembourg. Geography The commune of Walferdange is located north of Luxembourg City in the valley of the Alzette. It is part of the canton Luxembourg. The ...

, she studied German literature and history at the

University of Tübingen The University of Tübingen, officially the Eberhard Karl University of Tübingen (german: Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen; la, Universitas Eberhardina Carolina), is a public research university located in the city of Tübingen, Baden-Wü ...

, graduating in 1973. From 1976 to 1995, she taught in three of Luxembourg's

lycée In France, secondary education is in two stages: * ''Collèges'' () cater for the first four years of secondary education from the ages of 11 to 15. * ''Lycées'' () provide a three-year course of further secondary education for children between ...

s, after which she lectured on new German literature at the Centre universitaire de Luxembourg. From 1995 to 2012, she headed the newly established

where she organized many exhibitions, promoted Luxembourg's authors and collaborated in a wide range of literary and cultural circles. She was a member of the ''Fonds culturel national'' (1998-2013) and headed the ''Union des germanistes'' (1999-2004). Since 2012, she has presided the Fondation Servais which awards an annual literary prize. Goetzinger has published the results of her research into German and Luxembourg literature in scientific and journals and in literary reviews. She has also published works on feminism, including a biography of the German author

Luise Aston Luise Aston, or ''Louise Aston'' (26 November 181421 December 1871), was a German author and feminist, who championed the rights of women, and was known for dressing in male attire. She was an advocate of democracy, free love, and sexuality. B ...

. Other feminists which she has studied include the Luxembourg women's rights campaigner Aline Mayrisch and the writers Emma Weber-Brugmann, Marie Henriette Steil,

Anise Koltz Anise Koltz (born 1928) is one of Luxembourg's major contemporary authors. Best known for her poetry and her translations of poetry, she has also written a number of children's stories. In 1962, she was a cofounder with Nic Weber of the successful ...

, and Anna Speyer, all of whom played an important role in Luxembourg's literary heritage and in the development of the woman's role in society. In addition to the Luxembourg Book Prize (2011), in 2004 Germaine Goetzinger was awarded the Rheinlandtaler Prize for her contribution to the cultural development of the

Rhineland The Rhineland (german: Rheinland; french: Rhénanie; nl, Rijnland; ksh, Rhingland; Latinised name: ''Rhenania'') is a loosely defined area of Western Germany along the Rhine, chiefly its middle section. Term Historically, the Rhinelands ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Goetzinger, Germaine 1947 births Living people People from Dudelange 20th-century Luxembourgian historians Luxembourgian feminists 21st-century Luxembourgian historians 20th-century Luxembourgian women writers 21st-century Luxembourgian women writers Women historians