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Vera Zingsem

Mythology Researcher, Author, Lecturer

Vera Zingsem was born and raised in Mönchengladbach, Germany. She lives in Tübingen and now also regularly spends time in Bramsche, near Osnabrück.

She studied education, theology (earning a German university diploma in theology), and religious studies in Neuss, Bonn, Jerusalem, and Tübingen.

She worked as a freelance lecturer, including at the Protestant University of Applied Sciences for Social Work in Ludwigsburg from 1993 to 2011.

Vera Zingsem is the author of numerous books and essays exploring feminine mythology, symbolism, and spirituality. Her literary works also address the Palestinian conflict. In addition, she has written and published original fairy tales, some of which have received awards, as well as a fairy-tale novel.

She is a member of GEDOK Stuttgart, an association supporting women artists and writers, and the German Writers’ Association (VS). From 1997 to 2009, she served on the association’s state executive board in Baden-Württemberg, including as vice chair from 2001 to 2009.

In 2003, Vera Zingsem received the Elle Hoffmann Award from GEDOK Stuttgart.

Publications: 1992–2025

  • Im Schatten des Olivenbaums (In the Shadow of the Olive Tree) – Stories about the Palestinian conflict. Internationales Kulturwerk, Hildesheim, 1992; second edition, 1994. Republished in 2024 by Driediger Verlag under the title Schatten über den Olivenbäumen.
  • Die Einladung nach Jerusalem (The Invitation to Jerusalem) – A young adult novel about the Palestinian conflict. Büchergilde Gutenberg, 2001.
  • Schlangenfrau und Chaosdrache (Serpent Woman and Chaos Dragon) – Exploring these figures in fairy tales, mythology, and art. Co-authored with Barbara Stamer. Kreuz Verlag, 2001.
  • Klar wie das Wasser oder: Zur eigenen Quelle finden (Clear as Water, or: Finding Your Own Source) – Herder, Freiburg, 2002. New editions published by Pomaska-Brand Verlag in 2011 and 2026.
  • Sind die Weltreligionen friedensfähig? Ein Plädoyer für eine gerechte Religion (Are the World’s Religions Capable of Peace? A Plea for a Just Religion) – Kreuz Verlag, 2006.
  • Der Mistkäfer und die Sonne (The Dung Beetle and the Sun) – Winner of first prize in the 1996 WDR Fairy Tale Competition. Broadcast on WDR 5 in late 1996 and published in 2008 as a gift book under the title Das Geheimnis der Sonne (The Secret of the Sun) by Verlag am Eschbach.
  • Numerous fairy tales published in the magazine Story in 2007 and 2008.
  • Der Himmel ist mein, die Erde ist mein. Göttinnen großer Kulturen im Wandel der Zeiten (Heaven Is Mine, Earth Is Mine: Goddesses of Great Civilizations Through the Ages) – First edition published by Klöpfer & Meyer in 1995; fourth edition by Pomaska-Brand in 2008. A more affordable study edition has been available from Pomaska-Brand since August 2021.
  • Lilith. Adams erste Frau (Lilith: Adam’s First Wife) – First edition published by Klöpfer & Meyer in 1999; second edition in 2003. Fourth edition published by Reclam Leipzig in 2009; fifth edition released by Reclam in fall 2014.
  • Die Weisheit der Schöpfungsmythen. Wie uralte Geschichten unser Denken prägen (The Wisdom of Creation Myths: How Ancient Stories Shape Our Thinking) – Kreuz Verlag, 2009.
  • Freya, Iduna & Thor. Vom Charme der germanischen Göttermythen (Freya, Iduna & Thor: The Charm of Germanic Mythology) – Klöpfer & Meyer Verlag, 2010. An expanded new edition was published by Pomaska-Brand Verlag in January 2023 with the new subtitle Vom Zauber heimischer Mythen (The Magic of Our Native Myths).
  • Zwischen Asgard und Olymp – Nordisch-germanische und griechische Mythen: ein Vergleich (Between Asgard and Olympus: A Comparison of Norse-Germanic and Greek Myths) – Freiland Verlag, 2025.
  • Göttinnen großer Kulturen (Goddesses of Great Civilizations) – A new edition of Der Himmel ist mein, die Erde ist mein, published in paperback by dtv in 1999 and later by Anaconda in 2010.
  • Und Sie erschuf die Welt. Wie Schöpfungsmythen unser Leben prägen (And She Created the World: How Creation Myths Shape Our Lives) – Irdana Verlag, 2013.
  • Wanderer am Himmel. Die Welt der Planeten in Astronomie und Mythologie (Wanderers in the Sky: The World of Planets in Astronomy and Mythology) – Co-authored with Caryad and Thomas Römer. Julius Springer Verlag, 2014.
  • Die Kölsche Göttin und ihr Karneval. Die Ursprünge des Kölner Karneval in der Isis-Tradition (The Cologne Goddess and Her Carnival: The Origins of Cologne Carnival in the Isis Tradition) – Pomaska-Brand Verlag, 2015.
  • Mythische Bäume (Mythical Trees) – Co-authored with Ursula Stumpf and Andreas Hase. Kosmos Verlag, 2017; second edition published by Nymphenburger Verlag in fall 2021. Translated into Polish in 2018 under the title Misticzne drzewa.
  • Die Geschichte von der verlorenen Nacht (The Story of the Lost Night) – A fairy-tale novel. Pomaska-Brand Verlag, 2024.
  • Schatten über den Olivenbäumen. Literarischer Reiseführer durch ein Land der Gegensätze (Shadows Over the Olive Trees: A Literary Journey Through a Land of Contrasts) – Driediger Verlag, 2024.
  • Sind die Weltreligionen friedensstiftend? Eine längst fällige Analyse (Do the World’s Religions Promote Peace? A Long-Overdue Analysis) – Driediger Verlag, 2024.

Cultural and Educational Engagement

Vera Zingsem is a co-founder of PolyThea e.V., an association established in 2010 that created a Space for Goddess Culture in Tübingen, Germany. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, its twice-yearly cultural programs regularly received support from the Tübingen Cultural Office.

At the Malgarten Museum Barn (Museumsscheune von Malgarten) near Osnabrück, which she also helped establish, she offers guided tours, readings, lectures, and seminars upon request.

These events explore themes presented in the exhibition, which features the masterfully crafted Sophia goddess sculptures by renowned Bonn-based artist Julitta Franke.

Contact Information
Website: https://polythea-tempel.de
Email: vera.zingsem@gmx.de
Bookings for the Malgarten Museum Barn: +49 174 9838690