Ursula Ehler has Passed Away

The literary world has lost a significant figure in the form of author Ursula Ehler who passed away at the age of 84 in Berlin. This sad news was announced on Tuesday by the Suhrkamp publishing house, referencing the confirmation received from the family. Ursula Ehler had a long, fruitful partnership, both artistically and personally, with her husband, the renowned writer Tankred Dorst (1925-2017). Throughout their years together, they received numerous awards for their collaborative works.

Ursula Ehler was a native of Bamberg, where she was born and raised before moving to Munich to pursue education in sculpture at the prestigious Academy of Fine Arts. She later took on a role as a librarian at the Bavarian State Library, which allowed her to immerse herself further in the literary world. Alongside her library work, she also honed her artistic skills at the “Kleines Spiel” marionette studio in Munich.

Ursula Ehler and Tankred Dorst’s collaborative journey began in 1971

Ursula Ehler’s partnership with Tankred Dorst, a prominent figure in the German-speaking theater world, began early in their careers. She started her collaboration with Dorst in 1971, co-authoring several of his works. Ehler was a supportive force behind Dorst’s production of “The Ring of the Nibelung” at the Bayreuth Festival, which ran successfully from 2006 to 2010. Their partnership extended beyond the professional realm – they were married until Dorst’s death in 2017. In recognition of her contributions to the arts, Ehler was made an honorary member of the Bavarian Academy of Fine Arts in 2018.

Ursula Ehler’s work, in collaboration with Dorst, was widely recognized and awarded. Some of the notable awards they received include the E.-T.-A. Hoffmann Prize in 1998 and the German Theater Prize Der Faust in 2012. These awards are a testament to their remarkable contribution to the field of literature and theater.