Eva Kunz

Kunz was elected chair of the East German Arbeitsgemeinschaft sozialdemokratischer Frauen [Working group of social democratic women] (now SPD-Frauen [de]) in 1990.^[1]

She was a member of the East German Volkskammer from the 1990 East German general election on 18 March 1990 until 2 June 1990,^[2] resigning to become city councillor for equal opportunities in Greater Berlin. She later became head of the department for labour, women and social affairs in the state of Brandenburg.^[3] She worked for women's rights and equality in areas including political participation, education, upbringing, employment and careers.^[1]

Kunz had two children. Her son was born when she was 20. Her son's father was a student from Guinea, and returned there shortly after the birth; Kunz did not see him again. Her daughter was born in 1971; her father also came from abroad, and when the daughter later travelled to visit her father's country she contracted two forms of malaria and died.^[3]

Kunz was diagnosed with dementia and told that she had only a few years of clear-mindedness: she said that she wanted to live those years "ordentlich und fröhlich" (tidily and happily). With a new partner she travelled to Turkey and Egypt, and enjoyed theatre and cinema, before entering a nursing home for the last years of her life and dying on 17 July 2023.^[3] Her obituary from the SPD-Frauen described her as a "trailblazer".^[1]