Waltraud Hunke

Waltraud Hunke (28 April 1915 – 2004) was a German philologist, publisher and philanthropist who specialized in Germanic studies.

Biography Waltraud Hunke was born in Kiel, Germany on 28 April 1915, the daughter of the publisher (1879-1953) and Hildegard Lau (1879-1944). Her mother was the daughter of engineer Thies Peter Lau (1844-1933) and Walewska Berta Anna Artelt (1856-1943). She had two sisters, including Sigrid Hunke.

Hunke received her Ph.D. in Germanic philology at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München in 1941 under the supervision of Otto Höfler. She subsequently worked as an assistant to the historian Ernst Anrich and philologist Siegfried Gutenbrunner at Reichsuniversität Straßburg. After World War II, Hunke returned to her hometown of Kiel, where she made a fortune as a publisher and bookstore owner. She donated large sums to the University of Kiel, particularly for the purpose of supporting female academics. Upon the death of Hunke in 2004, her estate was donated to the University.