author
Hedwig von Mühlenfels
1874–1923
A prolific German novelist, she wrote under the pen name Helene von Mühlau and became known for popular fiction in the early 20th century. Her work included domestic and wartime novels, offering a window into the concerns of German readers of her day.
1 Audiobook
Der Kriegsfreiwillige
by Hedwig von Mühlenfels
About the author
Born in Cologne in 1874 as Emilie Hedwig Rathgeber, she later became known as Hedwig von Mühlenfels. She was a German writer best remembered for her novels, and she also published under the pseudonym Helene von Mühlau.
Her books appeared in the years before and during the First World War, and surviving editions show a strong interest in family life, marriage, and the emotional pressures of wartime. Titles such as Nach dem dritten Kind and Der Kriegsfreiwillige suggest the kind of socially minded, reader-friendly fiction that helped her reach a wider audience.
She died in 1923. While she is not widely read today, digitized editions and library records show that she was a productive presence in German popular literature of her era.