Born in Zurich, Mariella Mehr faced immense hardship. Her life story is etched in her works. Mariella Mehr, a Swiss novelist, playwright, and poet, died in Zurich on September 5, 2022.
Mariella Mehr was a member of the Yeniche people. The Kinder der Landstrasse project separated her from her family. This program aimed to assimilate Yenish children. They were taken from their families. Mariella Mehr spent her childhood in orphanages and with foster parents.
Her experiences fueled her writing. Mariella Mehr’s first novel, Steinzeit, appeared in 1981. It contained autobiographical elements. Her works often depict the struggles of outsiders. She championed oppressed minorities.
Imagine Mariella Mehr as a young girl. She was moved between 16 orphanages. She also lived in three reformatories. Mariella Mehr attended three schools. At 18, she became pregnant but her son was taken away. She was held at Hindelbank women’s prison for 19 months. There, she was forcibly sterilized.
From 1974, Mariella Mehr criticized the racism of Kinder der Landstrasse. Her 1986 play, Akte M. Xenos ill.* 1947 – Akte C. Xenos ill.* 1966, is the title of her dossier. This dossier was created by Kinder der Landstrasse.
Mariella Mehr moved to Tuscany in 1996. She returned to Switzerland in 2015. She settled again in Zurich.
Her words resonate with pain and resilience. “Leaves still grow around your heart,” she wrote. “And a fresh pinch of salt imprisons you in view.” Her poems reflect a life marked by displacement. They also reveal a fierce spirit. “On the star chart I am nowhere to be found,” she penned. “Never was there spring.”
Mariella Mehr’s literary contributions were recognized. She received awards. She also earned an honorary doctorate from the University of Basel. Her work earned her the Ida Somazzi Prize. This prize recognized her engagement in the interests of women.
Consider her play Silvia Z. It was motivated by the 1980 youth riots in Zurich. Another drama, Anni B., tells the story of a woman who fought in Spain. She was then placed in a mental institution.
Mariella Mehr’s legacy lives on through her powerful words. They remind us of the importance of fighting for justice. They also highlight the need to remember the forgotten. Her stories continue to inspire change. Mariella Mehr rejected the violence she suffered. She left us a body of work that speaks truth to power.