Charlotte Hohmann

Charlotte Hohmann (born Charlotte Scheffel: 19 May 1900 – 8 December 1971) was the first editor in chief of Die Frau von heute, the mass circulation weekly women's magazine founded in 1946 in Germany's Soviet occupation zone, into which, after 1949, rival publications were absorbed. As a young woman she was a political activist (KPD). Unlike her brother, she survived the Nazi years, but she nevertheless underwent several Gestapo interrogation sessions. During the early 1950s she held various senior positions within the East German print media sector even, at least on paper, after her retirement in 1955.

Life Charlotte Scheffel was born in Gera, an industrial city to the west of Dresden with a large textiles sector, in which her mother worked as a "seamstress" ("Näherin"). Her father was a painter. Scheffel left school in 1914 and embarked on a two-year traineeship in clothes manufacturing. Between 1917 and 1919 she worked as a clerical assistant in the city hall. From 1919 till 1921 she was employed in domestic service before moving on to a clerical position with the Gera Potash Syndicate. She lost that job in 1923 because of "Communist activities". Next she became a senior official in the Women's Department of the Communist Party Central Committee. Between the end of 1931 and 1933 she was a volunteer and contributor to the newspaper for women, "Die Kämpferin" (published by the party's Red Star publishing house). During 1948 control of the magazine passed to the newly established Democratic Women's League ("Demokratischer Frauenbund Deutschlands" / DFD). She continued to be identified as "Chefredakteurin" ("Editor in Chief") till 1957, Between 1948 and 1950 Hohmann worked as deputy managing editor of the weekly women's magazine "Für Dich" (For Thee), under the editorship of Willi Karsch. ("Für Dich" was subsumed into "Die Frau von heute" in 1950, although it re-appeared as a standalone title in 1963.) Between 1950 and 1955 Hohmann was employed in a senior management position ("Hauptgeschäftsfuehrerin") with the National Union of Journalists. She retired in 1955 but continued to undertake unpaid work for The Party.

Charlotte Hohmann received her Medal for Fighters Against Fascism in 1958. She died in Berlin on 8 December 1971.