Erika Mann

German writer and anti-Nazi activist who pioneered LGBTQ+ rights advocacy in early 20th century Europe

Erika Mann (1890-1969) was a German writer and LGBTQ+ rights pioneer whose work challenged both Nazi oppression and societal taboos. The daughter of Nobel Prize-winning author Thomas Mann, she openly identified as a lesbian at a time when such declarations were dangerous. Her 1931 novel 《Death in Jerusalem》 explored lesbian themes, making it one of the first mainstream works to address this topic. After fleeing Nazi Germany in 1933, she co-founded the ILGA precursor network in London, creating Europe's first LGBTQ+ support system. During WWII, she worked with the British government producing propaganda broadcasts to undermine Nazi morale, later becoming a key figure in post-war reconciliation efforts. Her memoir 《The Way to the Stairs》 provided critical insights into Weimar Berlin's LGBTQ+ subcultures. Mann's advocacy influenced the 1957 Wolfenden Report that decriminalized homosexuality in the UK. She passed away in obscurity but was posthumously honored with the Heinrich Heine Prize in 1990.