Lena Riemer (b. 2002) studied German and Sociology in Düsseldorf, and then Creative Writing at the German Institute for Literature in Leipzig. She has been studying Dramaturgy at the Ernst Busch University of Performing Arts since 2026. In April 2025, her debut play, “aufstiegskörper. ein fühlversuch” (ascending bodies. a felt experiment), premiered at Theater am Werk in Vienna (directed by Christine Eder). “aufstiegskörper” was awarded the 2025 Nestroy Theatre Prize for “Best Emerging Talent”. Her second play, “unreif” (immature), was nominated for the 2025 Retzhofer Drama Prize. Lena Riemer has been a member of the jury of the German Children’s and Youth Theatre Prize and is currently serving on the jury of the Treffen junger Autor*innen.
Selected Play: aufstiegskörper. ein fühlversuch [ascending bodies. a felt experiment], 2024
Synopsis: Climbing the social ladder through education still requires sacrifices. Three “ascending bodies” attempt to overcome systemic barriers while navigating university, employment and family life. To enter unfamiliar social environments, they must retrain both body and mind, yet the costs of adaptation repeatedly threaten their progress. By making class mobility physically and emotionally perceptible, the play asks whether the social obstacle course can ever truly be won.
MEDUSA relevance: The play links class, education and social mobility to the body, stress and burnout. Its combination of social analysis and formally distinctive language gives it strong transnational relevance, since barriers to educational and professional mobility resonate across European contexts.