Born in 1922 in Biberach an der Riss, for seven years she made her living as a folklore dancer and singer in a theatre group. In 1943 she was sent to Auschwitz, and later to the concentration camps in Ravensbruck and Oranienburg. She writes mostly Romani tales and organizes literary readings at schools and universities and lives in Rosrath near Cologne. In August 1995 she was awarded the "Federal Cross for Merits" - the highest civil award which Germany confers. She was the first Sinti awarded the prize for her "activities endeavouring after understanding and conciliation."