Käthe Kollwitz: Who is She?

German antiwar activist, supreme graphic artist, and mother of two sons during two world wars. This woman is amazing!

My 20 page illustrated zine covers major points of her life and work- from where she lived, what inspired her, who were her allies to what makes her stand out among her peers. Käthe is a major artist and has not been erased- there are streets, schools and homes for the homeless named after her! I was drawn to learn more about her after a trip to Berlin in 2019. My sister and I visited a small museum dedicated to her. Standing next to her press and several of her lithographic stones, I admired the framed work on the walls and the bronze sculptural self portraits.

I did not know that she made over 100 self portraits in her life, or that she dedicated her most prolific year to making posters, fliers, and postcards for social causes. I knew she lost a son just a few days into WW1, but I didn’t know how she processed it, and how devastating WW2 was to her. The more I learned the more I have come to see that she was unique in her stamina and focus, in her empathy to sufferers, and her compassion for the most vulnerable in society.

Unfortunately her messages are still relevant today. Her artwork was twisted by the Nazi’s and has been relegated to dustbins. But we should beware the memory loss before history repeats itself.

Buy this zine and see what I mean!