author
Hermynia Zur Mühlen
1883–1951
An Austrian writer and translator often remembered as the “Red Countess,” she brought radical politics, sharp wit, and real urgency to fiction and translation alike. Her work ranged from fairy tales and novels to outspoken anti-fascist satire shaped by exile and conviction.
2 Audiobooks
Fairy Tales for Workers' Children
by Hermynia Zur Mühlen
Der Tempel: Roman
by Hermynia Zur Mühlen
About the author
Born in Vienna on December 12, 1883, into an aristocratic family, Hermynia Zur Mühlen became one of the most distinctive left-wing literary voices in the German-speaking world. She wrote fiction, essays, and children’s stories, and she also translated more than seventy books into German from English, Russian, and French.
Her life moved far from the world she was born into. She became known for her socialist commitments and for her strong opposition to fascism, which helped earn her the nickname "the Red Countess." Her writing is often noted for combining political seriousness with storytelling that stays lively and readable.
Zur Mühlen died in Radlett, Hertfordshire, on March 20, 1951. Although she was neglected for many years, she has increasingly been recognized as an important Austrian author and translator whose work connects literature, politics, exile, and resistance.