Laura Witte
Laura Witte (born Laura Elisabeth Theodore Roth; April 16, 1869 – November 15, 1939) was an American who became a German suffragette and advocate for women’s rights in the early 20th century. She was born in Brooklyn, New York, the eldest child of Johannes and Jane Roth, and the sister of sculptor Frederick Roth. She also was the aunt of politician Annemarie von Harlem.
Laura moved to Germany, spending time in Bremen and Rostock, where her family had a home. She married German chemist Friedrich Carl Witte on June 7, 1892. The couple had five children: Johanna, Friedrich, Siegfried, Elisabeth, and Carl August.
After 1908, she volunteered in early childhood education centers and began giving talks about equal rights for women. She campaigned for the Mecklenburg State Association for Women's Suffrage and, by 1915, served on several boards, including the Association for Social Aid Work.
Laura joined the German Democratic Party and became chair of the party’s women’s group in 1919. In a speech in Bad Doberan that year, she spoke about “Woman in the new Germany,” the rights women had gained in 1918, and the need for equal pay.
She died in Rostock, Germany, on November 15, 1939.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 19:08 (CET).