In 1977, when women in West Germany (the Fedeal Republic of Germany) got the legal right to be employed outside the family against their husband's will, paragraph 1356 of the Civil Code, defining housework as the woman's duty, was abolished. Until then, heavy social pressure kept women close to home; in most cases, the choice of an outside occupation was limited to specific jobs and professions deemed suitable for women. In East Germany (the German Democratic Republic) during this time, an "equality paradise" ensured that women were equally literate, educated, and qualified. However, women were still expected to take care of children and household chores. With the collapse of East Germany, women's infrastructure disappeared, and the female employment rate plummeted. Today, while most women want to have an occupation outside the home and achieve some financial independence, relatively few women in Germany seem to want to have a meaningful lifetime career. Women generally accept that if they intend to pursue a career, they cannot have children; therefore, there is no effective lobby for an infrastructure that would make it easier to combine motherhood with professional life. Data clearly indicate that traditional roles have not significantly changed, except that employed women add an extra task to their domestic ones. Part 2 of this publication presents the stories of 11 contemporary women who have achieved high profile nationally or internationally, in academic or creative fields, in business, in sports, or in government. The document contains 25 references. (YLB)