Gerda Lerner was born on April 30, 1920, in Vienna, Austria. She grew up in a middle-class Jewish family, where her father worked as a pharmacist. Despite the rising anti-semitism in Europe, Gerda had a relatively sheltered childhood until the outbreak of World War II.
During the Holocaust, Gerda Lerner found herself imprisoned by the Nazis. It was during this horrific time that she formed deep bonds with other women who helped her survive. These experiences would shape her worldview and inspire her future work in women's history.
After the war, Gerda Lerner moved to the United States, where she used her experiences to advocate for the recognition of women's history. She believed that women's contributions to society had been overlooked and undervalued for far too long. Lerner was determined to change that.
She founded the academic field of women's history and created a women's history graduate program at Sarah Lawrence College. Through her work, she collected and published source material such as diaries and letters from women of centuries past, shedding light on their stories and struggles.
Gerda Lerner's efforts to establish women's history as a legitimate field of study have had a lasting impact on academia. Her groundbreaking work has paved the way for future generations of scholars to explore and celebrate the accomplishments of women throughout history.
Alongside her husband, Gerda Lerner co-wrote the film "Black Like Me," which starred James Whitmore. This project was yet another way she used her platform to highlight important social issues and bring about change.
Gerda Lerner passed away on January 2, 2013, but her legacy lives on through the countless lives she touched and the field of women's history that she pioneered.