Helga Schubert's "Die Woche danach": A Memoir of Grief for Johannes Helm
Writer and psychologist Helga Schubert has published "Die Woche danach," an intimate account of mourning her husband, Johannes Helm, who died on 22 August 2025 at the age of 98. The two had been together for more than half a century. Schubert, who began studying clinical psychology at the Humboldt-Universität in 1958, first encountered Helm there; he was an internationally recognized authority in the field. In the book she describes caring for him through many sleepless nights, and the moment she told him she needed to rest for two hours, setting an alarm to let the nurse in — only for her "Lebensmensch" to die while she slept. "Am 22. August 2025 war mein bisheriges Leben zu Ende," she writes. The Freitag review, by Irmtraud Gutschke, approaches the volume through an equally personal reading, noting that one wants to embrace Schubert as she stands at her dead husband's bed. The review appears in the current issue of the Freitag.
Key facts
- Helga Schubert published "Die Woche danach," a book about the death of her husband, Johannes Helm.
- Johannes Helm died on 22 August 2025 at the age of 98.
- Schubert and Helm were together for more than half a century.
- Schubert began studying clinical psychology at the Humboldt-Universität in 1958, where Helm was an internationally recognized authority.
- Schubert is described as a major writer and psychologist.
- The book recounts her grief work and her care for Helm during many sleepless nights.
- The review was written by Irmtraud Gutschke for the Freitag.
- The review appears in the current issue of the Freitag.
Entities
Artists
- Helga Schubert
- Johannes Helm
- Irmtraud Gutschke
Institutions
- Humboldt-Universität
- Freitag
Locations
- Germany