Paula Schlier

Paula Schlier (1899–1977) was a German writer. Her debut, “Petras Aufzeichnungen oder Konzept einer Jugend nach dem Diktat der Zeit” (1926), is regarded as an early work of Neue Sachlichkeit and investigative journalism. It was followed in 1928 by “Chorónoz. Ein Buch der Wirklichkeit in Träumen.” Before establishing herself as a writer, Schlier worked as a typist and volunteered as a Red Cross wartime nurse. In 1923, she took a position as a secretary at the Nazi newspaper Völkischer Beobachter in order to observe the movement from within; her experiences informed her debut. She also contributed to the journal Der Brenner and later turned to Catholicism in her literary work. Because of her opposition to National Socialism, she was arrested by the Gestapo in 1942.