Hedwig Courths-Mahler (), née Ernestine Friederike Elisabeth Mahler (February 18, 1867 in

Nebra (Unstrut) Nebra (official name: Nebra (Unstrut), ) is a town in the district of Burgenlandkreis of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is situated on the river Unstrut. Nebra has become nationally and internationally known as the site where the Nebra sky disc, a ...

– November 26, 1950 in

Rottach-Egern Rottach-Egern () is a Municipalities of Germany, municipality (''Gemeinde Rottach-Egern am Tegernsee'') and town located at Tegernsee (lake), Lake Tegernsee in the district of Miesbach (district), Miesbach in Upper Bavaria, Germany, about 55 km ( ...

, Bavaria) was a German writer of

formula fiction In popular culture, formula fiction is literature in which the storylines and plots have been reused to the extent that the narratives are predictable. It is similar to genre fiction, which identifies a number of specific settings that are freq ...

romantic novels. She used the pseudonyms Relham, H. Brand, Gonda Haack and Rose Bernd.

Life and career

Courths-Mahler's novels generally follow a single pattern:

socially disadvantaged Social exclusion or social marginalisation is the social disadvantage and relegation to the fringe of society. It is a term that has been used widely in Europe and was first used in France in the late 20th century. In the EU context, the Euro ...

characters overcome class differences through love. The lovers fight against adversity and are finally joined as a couple, gaining wealth and a high standing. It is estimated that by the time of her death in 1950, 80 million copies of her works had been sold. During the 1970s, five of her novels were adapted as telemovies, made by and shown on Süddeutscher Rundfunk. Only one of her novels, ''Die Perlenschnur'' (1927), has been translated into English, as ''The String of Pearls'' (Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott, 1929). Despite Courths-Mahler's traditional perspective on male-female relationships and criticism of the clichés in her oeuvre, her books still enjoy a broad, largely female readership. They continue to be reprinted in

dime novel The dime novel is a form of late 19th-century and early 20th-century American popular fiction issued in series of inexpensive paperbound editions. The term ''dime novel'' has been used as a catchall term for several different but related form ...

format by the

genre fiction In the book-trade, genre fiction, also known as formula fiction, or commercial fiction,Girolimon, Mars"Types of Genres: A Literary Guide" Southern New Hampshire University, 11 December 2023. Retrieved 3 September 2024. encompasses fictional ...

publisher Bastei Lübbe, making her the most popular female German writer by number of sold copies.

Literary works

* ''Die wilde Ursula'' (novel, 1912) * ''Was Gott zusammenfügt'' (novel, 1913) * ''Die Bettelprinzeß'' (novel, 1914) * ''Der tolle Hassberg'' (1916) * ''Griseldis'' (novel, 1916) * ''Ich will'' (novel, 1916) * ''Meine Käthe'' (novel, 1917) * ''Eine ungeliebte Frau'' (novel, 1918) * ''Die schöne Unbekannte'' (novel, 1918) * ''Der Scheingemahl'' (novel, 1919) * ''Das stille Weh'' (1919) * ''Die Herrin von Retzbach'' (1920) * ''Im Buchengrund'' (1920) * ''Wenn Wünsche töten könnten'' (1925) * ''Die Flucht vor der Ehe'' (novel, 1934) * ''Die verstossene Tochter''

Films

* ''Das stille Weh'' (1919) * ''

You Are the Life ''You Are the Life'' (German: ''Du bist das Leben'') is a 1921 German silent film directed by Franz Eckstein and starring Erna Morena, Uschi Elleot and Lya De Putti.Bock & Bergfelder p.83 The film's sets were designed by the art director Artur ...

'' (1921) * ''

Your Brother's Wife ''Your Brother's Wife'' (German: ''Deines Bruders Weib'') is a 1921 German silent film directed by Franz Eckstein and starring Olaf Storm, Olga Limburg and Margarete Schlegel.Feld p.386 Cast * Werner Funck * Olga Limburg * Auguste Prasch ...

'' (1921) * ''Liebe und Ehe'' (1923)DIF – Deutsches Filminstitut, Frankfurt am Main – ''Liebe und Ehe'', prüf. Nr. 7402 * '' Lena Warnstetten'' (1925) * ' (1974, TV film) * ' (1974, TV film) * ' (1974, TV film) * ' (1974, TV film) * ' (1974, TV film) * ''Durch Liebe erlöst'' (2005, TV film)

References

External links

*
Hedwig Courths-Mahler beim LeMO

Zentral- und Landesbibliothek Berlin
{{DEFAULTSORT:Courths-Mahler, Hedwig 1867 births 1950 deaths People from Nebra (Unstrut) Writers from the Province of Saxony German women novelists Writers from Saxony-Anhalt 20th-century German novelists German women screenwriters 20th-century German women writers Dime novelists Film people from Saxony-Anhalt 20th-century German screenwriters Women romantic fiction writers