Barbara Höhfeld

Barbara Höhfeld (born 24 November 1934 in Dortmund) is a translator, journalist and Feldenkrais teacher. She lives in Frankfurt am Main.¹

Education and career

From 1955 to 1958 Barbara Höhfeld studied at the Institute for Interpreting (Dolmetscher-Institut) of Saarland University in Saarbrücken, where she obtained her translator’s diploma in English and French in 1957 and her interpreter’s diploma in English in 1958. In 1958 she followed this with a semester of English studies; from 1964 to 1966 Höhfeld studied Italian in Perugia (Università per Stranieri).²

In autumn 1958 Höhfeld married and moved with her French husband to the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. Her first daughter was born in 1959, and in 1960 her second daughter, Pascale Velleine, who today works as a freelance illustrator and comic artist.³ From 1965 Höhfeld worked as a freelance translator. She was divorced in 1967.⁴

In 1971 she was employed as a translator by the European Commission (“Kommission der Europäischen Gemeinschaften” – Commission of the European Communities) in Luxembourg. In 1974 she was elected to the staff representation as a member of the Staff Committee (Comité du Personnel), where, by her own account, she also particularly represented women’s interests. In 1981 she moved to the European Parliament, where she was likewise elected to the staff representation.⁵ ⁶ ⁷

In 1980, together with women from the Luxembourg MLF (“Mouvement de Libération des Femmes” – Women’s Liberation Movement), Höhfeld founded the “Lëtzebuerger Frau’entheater” (Luxembourg Women’s Theatre). Every year the association staged a play for International Women’s Day; Höhfeld was co-author, set designer, actress and press officer. The group disbanded in 1989.⁸ ⁹

Alongside her work as a translator and staff representative at the EU (then the “EC”), Höhfeld completed a three-year training course in “Art Dramatique” (elocution, stage speech, acting lessons) at the Conservatoire of the City of Luxembourg in 1983.¹⁰ ¹¹ In 1989 Höhfeld left the service of the European Parliament and retired.¹²

From 1994 to 1998 Höhfeld trained as a Feldenkrais teacher in Austria; since then she has been a member of the Feldenkraisverband Deutschland. From 1998 to 2020 she gave Feldenkrais courses in Frankfurt am Main, among other places.¹³ ¹⁴

Journalistic and literary activities

Höhfeld has been active as a writer and journalist since 1975, initially publishing in the arts sections of various Luxembourg newspapers. In 1980, on Höhfeld’s initiative, the anthology B(G)efangen – B(G)efreit was published, in which women’s poetry in a feminist political sense was published in Luxembourg for the first time. Besides Barbara Höhfeld, the authors included Mady Kries, Erika Lindauer, Anna Recker and Michèle Thoma; the volume was illustrated by Patricia Lippert.¹⁵ ¹⁶

At a seminar in Saarland she became acquainted with the Zurich “Poesietelefon” (poetry telephone) and subsequently founded a poetry telephone in Luxembourg as well, which existed from October 1983 to December 1987. On a weekly rotating basis, a Luxembourgish-speaking, a French-speaking and a German-speaking poet were invited.¹⁷ ¹⁸

Höhfeld published articles on cultural policy issues, theatre reviews, book fair reports and more, for example in the magazines and newspapers d’Letzebuerger Land, Galerie and tageblatt.¹⁹ ²⁰ In 1989 Höhfeld translated thirty poems and song lyrics by Serge Gainsbourg into German for the bilingual edition Je t’aime. In travel reports from Israel, in portraits of Jewish authors and in other texts, Barbara Höhfeld has long engaged with questions of Jewish identity and history.²¹ ²²

In 1991 Höhfeld moved to Frankfurt am Main. There she worked at the Théâtre Français from 1994 to 1996. From 1997 to 2000 she worked on literature programmes for the Frankfurt station Radio X.²³

In 1999 Höhfeld’s first novel, Ginsburg und der Rotkohl, was published by the Luxembourg publisher Éditions Phi; it “depicts a process of professional and sexual emancipation”²⁴ and with it Höhfeld presents a “more than exact and faithful rendering of feminist sensibility before the fall of the Berlin Wall”.²⁵ In 2006 she began her “web diary”, which she continues to this day at irregular intervals.²⁶ In 2012 her poetry collection In Bildern zusammensetzen was published, followed in 2014 by her epistolary novel Kindertreu.²⁷ Also in 2012, the anthology Sisyphos im Lärm der Stille by Muepu Muamba appeared, edited by Höhfeld and partly translated by her from French.

Awards/Scholarship

In 1979 Barbara Höhfeld won the Concours littéraire national in the theatre category.

In 1987 Höhfeld was awarded the Gëlle Fieder literary prize of the Letzebuerger Schriftstellerverband (LSV) for running the poetry telephone.²⁸

In 2010 Höhfeld received a scholarship from the Hessisches Ministerium für Wissenschaft und Kunst (Hessian Ministry of Science and the Arts) and ALCA/AQUITAINE for a two-month stay in Bordeaux. Her report on it was published in 2011 in the double issue No. 99/100 of the Literaturbote.²⁹

Memberships

Höhfeld was a founding member of the Letzebuerger Schriftstellerverband (LSV), founded in Luxembourg in 1986. In its predecessor, the “Konschtgewerkschaft”, she served for a time as secretary. Today Höhfeld is a member of the VS Hessen (Verband deutscher Schriftsteller in Hessen – Association of German Writers in Hesse) and of the Literaturgruppe POSEIDON Darmstadt.³⁰

In 1994 Höhfeld was elected deputy chair of the Verband deutscher Schriftsteller (VS); from 1998 to 2008 she was chair of the Literaturgesellschaft Hessen (LIT e. V.). She placed particular emphasis on the inclusion of writers with a migrant background, for example through double readings by authors of German origin and authors with a migrant background.³¹ During this time she was involved in organising numerous literary events in Frankfurt am Main and throughout Hesse. In 2000 she founded the “Gerhard-Beier-Preis” on behalf of LIT. The association existed until 2018.³²

Höhfeld has been a member of the SPD for more than 40 years.³³

Since 1999 Höhfeld has belonged to the Frankfurt association Literaturclub der Frauen aus aller Welt (Literature Club of Women from All Over the World). She values the diversity of multilingualism, which she was used to from Luxembourg.³⁴ ³⁵ ³⁶

Publications

Own publications and edited works

Höhfeld, Barbara (1987): Der Plan, story. Offprint. In: GALERIE, Differdingen (Grand Duchy of Luxembourg).
Höhfeld, Barbara (1999): Ginsburg und der Rotkohl. Novel. Echternach (Grand Duchy of Luxembourg): Éditions Phi, ISBN 978-3-88865-181-6.
Höhfeld, Barbara (2009): Aus Bildern zusammensetzen. Poems. Frankfurt am Main: Khorshid-Verlag, ISBN 978-3-937194-32-5
Höhfeld, Barbara (2010): Endersgründchen oder das Jahr der Frau. Novel. Private print, Frankfurt am Main.
Muamba, Muepu (2012): Sisyphos im Lärm der Stille. Anthology. Ed. by Barbara Höhfeld. Translated from the French by Barbara Höhfeld and Maria Nemeç. Heidelberg: Draupadi-Verlag, ISBN 978-3-937603-66-7.
Höhfeld, Barbara (2014): Kindertreu. Ein Familienroman. Hamburg/Münster: Verlag Auf der Warft, ISBN 978-3-939211-79-2.

Translations

Kolatch, Alfred J. (1997): Jüdische Welt verstehen. Translated from the French by Barbara Höhfeld. Wiesbaden: Fourier, ISBN 978-3-925037-68-9.
Gainsbourg, Serge (1989). Je t’aime. Song lyrics. A bilingual edition translated by Barbara Höhfeld. Echternach: Éditions Phi.
Ginsburg, Carl (2004): Die Wurzeln der Funktionalen Integration. Translated from the American by Barbara Höhfeld. München: Bibliothek der Feldenkrais-Gilde Deutschland e. V., vol. 13.

Essays, articles, contributions, miscellaneous (selection)

Höhfeld, Barbara (1980): (B)Gefangen – (B)Gefreit. Frauenlyrik in Luxemburg. With contributions by Barbara Höhfeld, Mady Kries, Erika Lindauer, Anna Recker and Michèle Thoma. With illustrations by Patricia Lippert. Differdange: Éditions du Centre culturel, 1980, 68 pp. MOL. Special, No. 2. CID Fraen an Gender.
Höhfeld, Barbara (1984): Ausweg. Poem. In: Astel, Arnfrid: Giftgrün. St. Ingbert: W. J. Röhrig, ISBN 978-3-924555-00-9
Höhfeld, Barbara (1984): Ein Abend daheim. Story. In: Ketter, Rolf/Hausemer, Georges (eds.): Schriftbilder. Neue Prosa aus Luxemburg. Luxembourg: Edition Binsfeld, ISBN 978-3-88957-031-4.
Höhfeld, Barbara (1996): De Sade, Juliette. Programme booklet for the play. April and May 1996 at the Théâtre Français, Frankfurt am Main, directed by Sabine Loew, 10 performances.
Höhfeld, Barbara (1997): Der erste Salon. Impressionen von einem Treffen zwischen westdeutschen und ostdeutschen Schriftstellerinnen in Rheinsberg (Brandenburg). In: Roteres-Ullrich, Elisabeth (ed.): Eine Jede lege ihr Wissen in die Waagschale. Lesebuch zum 1. literarischen Salon. Dülmen-Hiddingsel: Tende, ISBN 978-3-88633-174-1.
Höhfeld, Barbara (2001): Jerusalem, auf ewig vereint. Travel report. In: Arbeitsgruppe Saarbrücker Literaturtage/Behringer, Klaus (eds.): Randwort Faktor. Dokumentation der Saarbrücker Literaturtage in Otzenhausen 99. Saarbrücken: PoCul-Verlag, ISBN 978-3-929435-11-5.
Höhfeld, Barbara (2001): Zwei Gedichte. In: Fraenhofer, Günter (ed.): OPST – Offener Poetenstammtisch. Goldbach: Verlag AALFAA EnterBraynMent, ISBN 978-3-00-007840-8.
Höhfeld, Barbara (2005): Drei Sommer. Story. In: Kumm, Shirin (ed.): Von fernen Gefühlen und Orten. Neun Autorinnen erzählen. 2nd anthology of the Literaturclub der Frauen aus aller Welt. Frankfurt am Main: Glaré, ISBN 978-3-930761-45-6.
Höhfeld, Barbara (2006): Porträt über Ramunė Pigagaitė und Text. In: Chotjewitz-Häfner, Renate (ed.): Hessische Literatur im Porträt. Marburg: Jonas Verlag, Marburg, ISBN 978-3-89445-360-2.
Höhfeld, Barbara (2008): Schrift zum Gerhard-Beier-Preis.
Höhfeld, Barbara (2008): Review of Mit leichtem Gepäck. Anthologie der ostbelgischen Gegenwartsliteratur. In: Die Brücke e. V. (ed.): Die Brücke 147. Forum für antirassistische Politik und Kultur.
Höhfeld, Barbara (2010): 2 Sprachen. Essay. In: Czuba-Konrad, Susanne/Labas-Primorac, Tamara/Tirreno-Schneider, Venera (eds.): Wortwandlerinnen. Autorinnen von vier Kontinenten erzählen. 3rd anthology of the Literaturclub der Frauen aus aller Welt. Frankfurt am Main: Brandes & Apsel, ISBN 978-3-86099-676-8.
Höhfeld, Barbara (2011): Bücher in Bordeaux. Eindrücke einer Stipendiatin. In: Hessisches Literaturforum (ed.): L. Der Literaturbote, No. 99/100.
Höhfeld, Barbara (2010): Das Häuschen am Abhang. Story. In: Czuba-Konrad, Susanne/Labas-Primorac, Tamara/Tirreno-Schneider, Venera (eds.): Wortwandlerinnen. Autorinnen von vier Kontinenten erzählen. 3rd anthology of the Literaturclub der Frauen aus aller Welt. Frankfurt am Main: Brandes & Apsel, ISBN 978-3-86099-676-8.
Höhfeld, Barbara (2012): Häkelspitzen. Autobiographical story. In: Literaturclub der Frauen aus aller Welt (ed.): Frau Müllers Taschentuch. Private print.
Höhfeld, Barbara (2015): Rex die Ratte. Story. In: Literaturclub der Frauen aus aller Welt (ed.): Die Frankfurterinnen. Frankfurt am Main: Größenwahn-Verlag, ISBN 978-3-95771-053-6.
Höhfeld, Barbara (2019): Nachruf. Story. In: Berber, Pupuze (ed.): Begegnungen. 20 Jahre Literaturclub der Frauen aus aller Welt. 4th anthology of the Literaturclub der Frauen aus aller Welt. Norderstedt: BoD, ISBN 978-3-7481-9158-2.
Höhfeld, Barbara/Geissel, Hans/Eickhoff, Hartmut (2017): Einblicke in die Schwerionenforschung und ihre Anwendung. Essay. In: Gruner, Paul-Hermann/Malwitz, Eberhard (POSEIDON)/Pomplun, Carola (GSI) (eds.): Vom Targetrad zum Federkiel. Elf Physiker der GSI treffen auf neun Autoren der Literaturgruppe Poseidon. An interactive art project between literature and science. Project of the Literaturgruppe Poseidon, Darmstadt, and the GSI Helmholtz-Zentrum für Schwerionenforschung GmbH, Darmstadt. Darmstadt: Justus von Liebig Verlag, ISBN 978-3-87390-391-3.

External links

Website of Barbara Höhfeld
Literature by and about Barbara Höhfeld in the Deutsche Nationalbibliothek

Machine translation: This article was translated automatically from the German original.

1
Schniederjürgen, Axel (Red.) (2023): Kürschners Deutscher Literatur-Kalender 2022/2023, Band 1, A–O, Berlin: de Gruyter, ISBN 978-3-11-076972-2, p. 95. ↩︎
2
Conter, Claude D. (n. d.): Barbara Höhfeld. In: CNL (ed.): Luxemburger Autorenlexikon. Online at: https://www.autorenlexikon.lu/page/author/528/5283/DEU/index.html (accessed 13/11/2023). ↩︎
3
Kremer, Claude (n. d.): Pascale Velleine. In: CNL (ed.): Luxemburger Autorenlexikon. Online at: https://www.autorenlexikon.lu/page/author/103/10387/DEU/index.html (accessed 13/11/2023). ↩︎
4
Literaturgruppe POSEIDON (n. d.): Barbara Höhfeld. In: Autorinnen und Autoren, website of the Literaturgruppe POSEIDON. Online at: https://www.literaturgruppe-poseidon.de/index.php/autorinnen-und-autoren/18-barbara-hoehfeld (accessed 13/11/2023). ↩︎
5
Literaturgruppe POSEIDON (n. d.): Barbara Höhfeld. In: Autorinnen und Autoren, website of the Literaturgruppe POSEIDON. Online at: https://www.literaturgruppe-poseidon.de/index.php/autorinnen-und-autoren/18-barbara-hoehfeld (accessed 13/11/2023). ↩︎
6
Hessischer Literaturrat (2023): Barbara Höhfeld. In: Autor*innenverzeichnis, website of the Hessischer Literaturrat. Online at: https://www.hessischer-literaturrat.de/verzeichnis/132/hoehfeld-barbara/ (accessed 13/11/2023). ↩︎
7
Höhfeld, Barbara (2009): Ach ja, Deutsch in der EU. In: Internationale Vereinigung der ehemaligen Bediensteten der Europäischen Gemeinschaften A.I.A.C.E. – Deutsche Sektion e. V. (ed.): Der Deutsche Sektions-Kurier, No. 2, June, p. 24. Online at: https://aiace-luxembourg-eu.typepad.com/files/aiace_der_deutsch_sektionskurier2.pdf (accessed 06/11/2023). ↩︎
8
Conter, Claude D. (n. d.): Barbara Höhfeld. In: CNL (ed.): Luxemburger Autorenlexikon. Online at: https://www.autorenlexikon.lu/page/author/528/5283/DEU/index.html (accessed 13/11/2023). ↩︎
9
Barbara Höhfeld in conversation with the author. ↩︎
10
Hessischer Literaturrat (2023): Barbara Höhfeld. In: Autor*innenverzeichnis, website of the Hessischer Literaturrat. Online at: https://www.hessischer-literaturrat.de/verzeichnis/132/hoehfeld-barbara/ (accessed 13/11/2023). ↩︎
11
Conter, Claude D. (n. d.): Barbara Höhfeld. In: CNL (ed.): Luxemburger Autorenlexikon. Online at: https://www.autorenlexikon.lu/page/author/528/5283/DEU/index.html (accessed 13/11/2023). ↩︎
12
Literaturgruppe POSEIDON (n. d.): Barbara Höhfeld. In: Autorinnen und Autoren, website of the Literaturgruppe POSEIDON. Online at: https://www.literaturgruppe-poseidon.de/index.php/autorinnen-und-autoren/18-barbara-hoehfeld (accessed 13/11/2023). ↩︎
13
Hessischer Literaturrat (2023): Barbara Höhfeld. In: Autor*innenverzeichnis, website of the Hessischer Literaturrat. Online at: https://www.hessischer-literaturrat.de/verzeichnis/132/hoehfeld-barbara/ (accessed 13/11/2023). ↩︎
14
Höhfeld, Barbara (n. d.): Feldenkrais. In: Website of the author. Online at: http://www.barbara-hoehfeld.de/tun/feldenkrais (accessed 13/11/2023). ↩︎
15
Conter, Claude D. (n. d.): Barbara Höhfeld. In: CNL (ed.): Luxemburger Autorenlexikon. Online at: https://www.autorenlexikon.lu/page/author/528/5283/DEU/index.html (accessed 13/11/2023). ↩︎
16
Frauenlyrik in Luxemburg B(G)efangen – B(G)efreit. Differdange: Éditions du Centre culturel , 1980 , 68 pp. MOL. Special, No. 2. CID Fraen an Gender. ↩︎
17
Conter, Claude D. (n. d.): Barbara Höhfeld. In: CNL (ed.): Luxemburger Autorenlexikon. Online at: https://www.autorenlexikon.lu/page/author/528/5283/DEU/index.html (accessed 13/11/2023). ↩︎
18
Barbara Höhfeld in conversation with the author. ↩︎
19
Schniederjürgen, Axel (Red.) (2023): Kürschners Deutscher Literatur-Kalender 2022/2023, Band 1, A–O, Berlin: de Gruyter, ISBN 978-3-11-076972-2, p. 95. ↩︎
20
Conter, Claude D. (n. d.): Barbara Höhfeld. In: CNL (ed.): Luxemburger Autorenlexikon. Online at: https://www.autorenlexikon.lu/page/author/528/5283/DEU/index.html (accessed 13/11/2023). ↩︎
21
Höhfeld, Barbara (n. d.): Tagebuch 2006 – die Reise nach Israel. In: Website of the author. Online at: http://www.barbara-hoehfeld.de/tagebuch/tagebuch-2006-die-reise-nach-israel (accessed 13/11/2023). ↩︎
22
Conter, Claude D. (n. d.): Barbara Höhfeld. In: CNL (ed.): Luxemburger Autorenlexikon. Online at: https://www.autorenlexikon.lu/page/author/528/5283/DEU/index.html (accessed 13/11/2023). ↩︎
23
Conter, Claude D. (n. d.): Barbara Höhfeld. In: CNL (ed.): Luxemburger Autorenlexikon. Online at: https://www.autorenlexikon.lu/page/author/528/5283/DEU/index.html (accessed 13/11/2023). ↩︎
24
Conter, Claude D. (n. d.): Barbara Höhfeld. In: CNL (ed.): Luxemburger Autorenlexikon. Online at: https://www.autorenlexikon.lu/page/author/528/5283/DEU/index.html (accessed 13/11/2023). ↩︎
25
Treinen, Jean-Michel (1999): Das Monstrum Mann. In: d’Letzebuerger Land, article of 22 October, p. 16. Online at: https://viewer.eluxemburgensia.lu/ark:70795/5g6213/pages/16/articles/DTL207?search=treinen%20ginsburg (accessed 13/11/2023). ↩︎
26
Höhfeld, Barbara (n. d.): Tagebuch. In: Website of the author. Online at: www.barbara-hoehfeld.de/tagebuch-winter-23/24 (accessed 13/11/2023). ↩︎
27
Conter, Claude D. (n. d.): Barbara Höhfeld. In: CNL (ed.): Luxemburger Autorenlexikon. Online at: https://www.autorenlexikon.lu/page/author/528/5283/DEU/index.html (accessed 13/11/2023). ↩︎
28
Conter, Claude D. (n. d.): Barbara Höhfeld. In: CNL (ed.): Luxemburger Autorenlexikon. Online at: https://www.autorenlexikon.lu/page/author/528/5283/DEU/index.html (accessed 13/11/2023). ↩︎
29
Literaturgruppe POSEIDON (n. d.): Barbara Höhfeld. In: Autorinnen und Autoren, website of the Literaturgruppe POSEIDON. Online at: https://www.literaturgruppe-poseidon.de/index.php/autorinnen-und-autoren/18-barbara-hoehfeld (accessed 13/11/2023). ↩︎
30
n. a. (n. d.): Barbara Höhfeld. In: Mitglieder, website of the Literaturclub der Frauen aus aller Welt. Online at: https://literaturclub-frauen.de/2022/01/25/barbara-hoehfeld/ (accessed 13/11/2023). ↩︎
31
Barbara Höhfeld in conversation with the author. ↩︎
32
Barbara Höhfeld in conversation with the author. ↩︎
33
Leppert, Georg (2022): „Die Stimmung kippt“ – Team Feldmann setzt sich für Frankfurts OB ein. In: Frankfurter Rundschau, article of 6 October. Online at: https://www.fr.de/frankfurt/frankfurt-ein-team-fuer-peter-feldmann-91831881.html (accessed 13/11/2023). ↩︎
34
n. a. (n. d.): Barbara Höhfeld. In: Mitglieder, website of the Literaturclub der Frauen aus aller Welt. Online at: https://literaturclub-frauen.de/2022/01/25/barbara-hoehfeld/ (accessed 13/11/2023). ↩︎
35
Barbara Höhfeld in conversation with the author. ↩︎
36
n. a. (n. d.): Über uns. In: Website of the Literaturclub der Frauen aus aller Welt. Online at: https://literaturclub-frauen.de/ueber-uns/ (accessed 13/11/2023). ↩︎

Author, Feminist, Frankfurt am Main, Literature, Luxembourg, Publicist, Translator

Empfohlene Zitierweise

Susanne Konrad
(2024)
: Barbara Höhfeld. In: Equalpedia.

Online unter:

https://www.equalpedia.org/en/barbara-hoehfeld-2/

(Zugriff am 26. September 2026).

Erstellt am: 23. September 2026
Verfasser*in: Susanne Konrad
Zuletzt bearbeitet am: 24. September 2026
Biographies, Culture, Literature, Publishing, Translation
Author, Feminist, Frankfurt am Main, Literature, Luxembourg, Publicist, Translator