Hi, I’m Sarah!

Independent journalist from Hamburg, Germany.

I moved to Chicago in April 2024 to report on the presidential election and climate policy, for German outlets like DIE ZEIT and Tagesspiegel Background (Energy, Climate, and Mobility).

I like telling stories from vastly different worlds — from intimate portraits to deep dives into industrial policy — and writing for readers of all ages, from curious kids to expert audiences.

My work often centers on the climate crisis, queer life, and how we talk about sex as a society. I’ve covered Fridays for Future, green tech in the U.S., and spent over a decade exploring the culture of sexuality in media, science, and politics.

I also podcast and moderate: I’ve co-hosted ZEIT’s Hinter der Geschichte and produced a personal podcast during lockdown with my three kids.

I’m currently on a sabbatical from my position as a staff writer with ZEIT’s children’s magazine, ZEIT LEO. I’ve been with the magazine since 2015, writing on climate and sensitive childhood topics featuring trans kids and children in hospice care.

I hold a PhD on the politics of pornography, studied American Studies in Bonn and Prague, and have lived in Togo, Italy, and the American Midwest. My work spans audio, print, and digital — and one day, I hope to launch a longform investigative podcast on the decline of the Protestant church in Germany.

Most of my journalism is in German. My academic work is in English. I speak both fluently — and tell stories in whatever form I need.