Höhler was born inWuppertal, Germany, and is the second of four children of parish priest Heinrich Höhler (1907–1995) and his wife Helene, daughter of the theologian Fritz Horn.[1] The Germancardiologist Mia Helene Höhler (1939–2020) was her sister;[2][3] the German architect Ernst Höhler (1942–2019) was her brother.[4]
Höhler graduated from high school in Wuppertal. She then studied literature studies and art history inBonn,Berlin,Zurich andMannheim from 1960 to 1966. Her studies were supported by a scholarship from theGerman Academic Scholarship Foundation.[5] In 1967 she was awarded her doctorate with a thesis onUnruhige Gäste. Das Bibelzitat inWilhelm Raabes Roman (The Biblical Quotation in Wilhelm Raabe's Novel Unruhige Gäste), and worked at theUniversity of Mannheim.
From 1987 to 1989, Höhler was a consultant toAlfred Herrhausen, the chairman of the board ofDeutsche Bank.[7] In addition,Carl Hahn engaged her as a consultant forVolkswagen.[8] While working for Deutsche Bank, she served as a consultant for other associations and companies and was on leave from her professorial duties.[9]
Höhler gained international fame through numerous publications as well as media appearances in which she took a stand on current political and economic issues. She also became known to the public for her political consulting activities, such as forThuringia'sMinister PresidentDieter Althaus[11] andGerman ChancellorHelmut Kohl.[12][13]
Höhler was host of the sociopoliticaltalk showBaden-Badener Disput – Kulturgespräch zur Zeit (SWR) from 1988 to 2000, which had a total of 58 episodes.[18]
Höhler published titles such asWölfin unter Wölfen. Warum Männer ohne Frauen Fehler machen (2000),Warum Vertrauen siegt (2003) sowieJenseits der Gier. Vom Luxus des Teilens (2005).
In various books such asDie Patin. Wie Angela Merkel Deutschland umbaut (The Godmother. How Angela Merkel is Rebuilding Germany) (2012),Demokratie im Sinkflug: Wie sich Angela Merkel und EU-Politiker über geltendes Recht stellen (Democracy in decline: How Angela Merkel and EU politicians place themselves above applicable law) (2017) orAngela Merkel – Das Requiem (Angela Merkel – The Requiem) (2020) and media appearances she presented herself as a harsh critic of German ChancellorAngela Merkel.[19]
During the 1960s Höhler belonged to the left-wing subcultural milieu. She was in a relationship with the German screenwriter and film directorUlf Miehe (with whom she self-published a book of poems in 1962).[20]
