Andrea Paluch: Ruth Berlau - Alles für einen (Literaturtage Recklinghausen 2026)

Reading & Discussion: Andrea Paluch on Ruth Berlau

To this day, Ruth Berlau is known primarily as Bertolt Brecht’s companion and lover. Yet the Danish journalist, actress, and director led an extraordinary life full of courage, a spirit of adventure, and contradictions—far beyond her relationship with the famous playwright.

In her book, Andrea Paluch traces Berlau’s moving life story: from her legendary 1928 bicycle trip from Copenhagen to Paris, through her time with Brecht in exile in the U.S., to the upheavals and disappointments that shaped the rest of her life. The result is a portrait of an independent, quick-witted, and unconventional woman whose story long remained in the shadow of another.

In conversation with Antje Deistler (Literaturgebiet Ruhr), Andrea Paluch offers fascinating insights into her research and brings Ruth Berla’s zest for life, humor, and stubbornness to life.