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Born in Gandersheim to Saxon nobles Hrotsvitha (c. 935 – after 973) was a German secular canoness, who wrote dramas and poems during the rule of the Ottonian dynasty , lived in Gandersheim Abbey , and remains an important literary figure to this day. Hrotsvitha is historically and literarily important for many reasons, including but not limited to, the fact that she is considered the first female writer from the German Lands, the first female historian, the first person since antiquity to write dramas in the Latin West , and the first female poetess in Germany.

Hrotsvitha's life and works are impactful as they provide a historical record with a focus on women's lives. This record leaves a lasting legacy that continues to impact people, particularly in regards to historical and modern understandings of gender, feminism, and Christianity.

Her six short dramas are considered to be her most important works. She is also one of the very few women who wrote about her life during the early Middle Ages, this makes her one of the only people to record a history of women in that era from a woman's perspective. The fact that she was one of the first women to write about women's experiences, coupled with the sheer beauty her work, has lead some to call her "the most remarkable woman of her time", and has made her an important figure in the history of women

Despite her importance little is known about Hrotsvitha’s personal life, who she was, or her personal beliefs beyond her writings. This lack of knowledge about Hrothsvitha's life can be attributed to the fact that she lived and wrote in the 10th century and the fact that all of her written works are in Latin. As a result, her works had to be rediscovered and translated in the 1600s, which may have lead to the miss-interpretation, or miss-translation of her work.

Hrotsvitha's name (Latin: Hrotsvitha Gandeshemensis) appears in various forms including: Hrotsvit, Hrosvite, Hroswitha, Hroswithe, Rhotswitha, Roswit and Roswitha . Her name means "a mighty shout", and some have commented on how this either represents or conflicts with the personality presented in her writing. Moreover, the meaning of her name speaks to the way she wanted to glorify Christian hero's and legends, as well as the values they represent, as it expresses her mission to do so. It is important to note that while many have questioned the authenticity of Hrotsvitha’s work, historical examinations and collections of her works, coupled with the multiple historical and contemporary works that speak about her, demonstrate that Hrotsvitha's work is authentic. Feminist scholars have argued this questioning of the authenticity of Hrotsvitha's work reveals a sexist narrative rather than revealing a flaw in her work or that she did not exist, as individuals have been engaging with her work for hundreds of year, and with increased intensity since her rediscovery in the 15th century.

Contents

 * 1 Life and background
 * 2 Works
 * 2.1 Legends
 * 2.2 Comedies
 * 2.3 Plays and drama
 * 2.4 Other works
 * 3 Lasting legacy
 * 3.1 Gender
 * 3.2 Modern perceptions of Hrotsvitha
 * 4 Contemporary references
 * 5 References
 * 6 Bibliography
 * 7 Further reading
 * 8 External links

Life and background[edit]
All the information about Hrotsvitha comes from the prefaces of her work, as well as interpretations of her works hundreds of years after it was written and translated. Because of this, little is known about her lineage, when she moved into the Gandersheim monastery, or why she took the veil. But from this is is generally accepted that Hrotsvitha was born in approximately 935 and died in 973. Hrotsvitha was a good students who read many popular works at the time with a particular focus on legends about Saints, and would have spent much of her time learning how to write verse. When Hrotsvitha first began her studies she studied under the nun Rikkardis, then under Gerberga, who was younger than her but outranked her. The latter was the daughter of Henry the Fowler, a German king. Hrotsvitha became a teacher in her 20s. Though there is some debate over when she entered the Monastery meaning this timeline could be inaccurate according to some accounts, and accurate based on others.

Through an interpretation of her work it is also known what kind of environment she lived in, the impact this would have had, and who she was based on where she grew up. At the time, one could not find a more stimulating place to live than a monastery like Gandersheim. The covenant that she was a part of was not one where she had to become a nun, but were she could remain a canonesse. This is an important distinction as Hrotsvitha would have taken a vow of chastity and obedience but not poverty, meaning that she could live a relatively lavish life and could leave the monastery at any time, all while being protected, studying from a large library, and learning from many teachers. This speaks to her economic position as she would only have been able to live in this monastery if she was wealthy, and from a noble family.

Interpretations of her writings also demonstrate that she may have written these texts when she was older, as they are well informed, and provide a particularly mature perspective. Her intelligence was proven by her deep understanding of the legal system, as well as the history of the Ottoman Empire and their line of succession. Moreover, Hrotsvitha was the first Northern European to write about Islam and the Islamic empire. Her utilization of facts when depicting Islam confirms that she was well informed and well educated, while her use of myths and the way she writes about Islam demonstrates a clear agenda as she writes about the importance of Christianity --with a focus on Christian women's virginity, martyrdom, and strength using Christian values-- in the face of the threat Islam posed.

Finally, when Hrotsvitha began writing she wrote in secret, until she was encouraged to read them out loud and edit them. From there she was given the approval of the Abbess which encouraged her to continue writing. She primarily wrote legends, comedies, and plays. Her Books of Legends or carmina liber primus was written in the 950s or 960s and was written in honour of her Abbess Gerberga, it contains eight legends written in dactylic hexameter. But her most popular work was The Book of Drama --or liber secundus in latin--, this work offered a Christian alternative to the work of the playwright Terence, as evidenced by the preface to her Books of Dramas. While Terence was a Pagan who told stories about women who were morally corrupt and weak, Hrothsvitha told stories about women as virtuous virgins with a strong connection to God who were chaste and persevered through adversity. Her third book contains the Gesta Ottonis and the Primordia coenobii Gandeshemensis. The Gesta Ottonis is a historical work which details the history of the Ottonians from 919 to 965. And the work Primordia coenobii is the history of the monastery she lived in Gandersheim from 846 to 919.

Works[edit]
Scholars have questioned the authenticity of Hrotsvitha's works. Extensive analysis of literature however have confirmed their authenticity. Thus, analysis of Hrotsvitha's works are important to the discussion of what influence Hrotsvitha, especially as a woman, and her writing may have actually had on society at that time.

Hrosvitha divided her work into three books. These works are organized chronologically, and speak to how Hrotsvitha valued Christianity and acting in a Christian manner.

A. Liber Primus


 * 1. Prose introduction
 * 2. Verse dedication to the Abbess Gerberg
 * 3. Eight legends
 * a. Maria
 * b. Ascensio
 * c. Gongolfus
 * d. Pelagius
 * e. Theophilus (a "deal with the Devil" legend)
 * f. Basilius
 * g. Dionysius
 * h. Agnes 4. Prose conclusion

B. Liber Secundus


 * 1. Prose introduction
 * 2. Epistola eiusdem ad quosdam sapientes huius libri fautores
 * 3. Six dramas
 * These six dramas all speak to a consistent theme in Hrothsvitha's work the virtue of virginity over temptation.
 * a. Gallicanus:This drama tells the story of Constantine the Great and general, and the emperor's daughter Constantia. While still a Pagan the general wants to marry Constantia but she has married God. Eventually the general converts and dies a martyr's death.
 * b. Dulcitius: In Dulcitius Diocletian wishes to rape three young Christian women. They pray to God and wish for death rather than rape. God than blinds Diocletian who proceeds to rape pots and pans in the process. This not only prevents the girls from being raped but also speaks to their virtue, and martyrdom.
 * c. Calimachus
 * d. Abraham
 * e. Pafnutius
 * f. Sapientia
 * 4. Poem on a Vision of St. John (35 lines). Another briefer poem in the Codex is not by Hrotsvitha
 * It is important to recognize that all these dramas served an important purpose, Gallicanus and Calimachus focus on conversion, Abraham and Pafnutius tell the story of redemption and repentance, while Duldtius and Sapientia tell the story of two virgins martyrdom, cumulatively they speak to the power of Christ and Christian values, which was Hrothsvitha's objective.
 * It is important to recognize that all these dramas served an important purpose, Gallicanus and Calimachus focus on conversion, Abraham and Pafnutius tell the story of redemption and repentance, while Duldtius and Sapientia tell the story of two virgins martyrdom, cumulatively they speak to the power of Christ and Christian values, which was Hrothsvitha's objective.

C. Liber Tertius


 * 1. Prose introduction
 * 2. Verse dedications to Otto I and Otto II
 * 3. Gesta Oddonis: Tells the story of the Ottonian dynasty, and its rise to power.
 * 4. Verse introduction
 * 5. Primordia Coenobii Gandeshemensis: Tells the story of Gandersheim Abbey, which is where Hrothsvitha lived.

Legends[edit]
The Book of Legends is a collection of eight legends, all of which are written in Leonine hexameter—with the exception of Gongolph, which was written in rhymed distichs. Hrotsvitha penned a number of legends in verse, including those of Gongolfus and Theophilus, and it is evident that there is a theme of religion throughout and within this book. The fifth and sixth legends, "Theophilus" and "Basilius", are both based on Latin translations of the vitae of Greek saints. The legends speak about the Faustian tradition in the West, in which sinners sell their souls to Satan.

The story of Theophilus was one of the most popular written in any language. It describes how the young and ambitious archdeacon Theophilus, raised by his uncle in sixth century Antioch, is overcome by disappointment about his lack of promotion in the church. He consults a Jewish sorcerer and is taken to a meeting of devils. Theophilus renounces God in a written document and joins hands with Satan. He gains a position of high influence, and is happy with his power until he begins to repent the sin he has committed. Theophilus requests help from the Virgin Mary in order to reverse his contract with the Devil, and ultimately good trumps evil, and the contract is terminated. Hrotsvitha supplements the story with her description of Theophilus in The Seven Arts:- De sophiae rivis septeno fonte manantis.

A common theme throughout this legend, which is also applicable to some of the other legends, is the presence of the Devil and the constant battle between good and evil. Theophilus's choice to side with the Devil, but then turn against him is a primary example of this in the text - good always wins. The Devil is a common presence in many of Hrosvitha's works, and she characterizes him according to the conventions of her time. Even when the Devil himself is not present, she often incorporates his sinful characteristics into another character in the work.

Another example from the Book of Legends is the legend of Basilius. Basilius, a fourth-century bishop of Caesarea, exuded the traits of goodness and the power of Christ on earth by defeating Satan in a physical and verbal struggle for the soul of a servant who had fallen in love with his master’s daughter. Satan causes the couple to “burn in mad desire” in order to turn Christians away from Christ. This man renounces Christ in return for marriage to the daughter. This legend sums up all of the religious themes present in the previous examples mentioned. It includes a battle between good and evil or Christ and Satan, in which she illustrates the powers of Satan to be similar to if not equal to those of Christ in causing a person to do evil, whereas Christ would have them doing good.

In her seventh and eighth poems, "Dionysius" and "St. Agnes", Hrotsvitha recounts the martyrdoms of early Christians. These are only a few examples from the Book of Legends; in the other poems she expresses similar themes of martyrdom, religion and spirituality.

Comedies[edit]
The best known and original of the works of Hrotsvitha is her imitation of Terence. It was written in prose as six comedies. She writes in her preface that her writing will appeal to many who are attracted by the charm of style.

The comedies of Hrotsvitha took the place of Terence in the studies of Gandersheim. Her themes remained love stories. Among them include Gallicanus, Dulcitius, Callimachus, Abraham, Paphnutius, and Sapientia. The reader will note Dulcitius being stricken with illusion, embracing the pots and kettles in the kitchen. In the meantime three lovely maidens, Agape, Chionia, and Hirena, are rescued from his villainy. Dulcitius is the only one of Hrotsvitha's comedies which aligns with the modern comedic genre.

Plays and drama[edit]
In general, Hrosvitha's plays were works of hagiography. Her plays contrast the chastity and perseverance of Christian women with Latin women who are portrayed as weak and emotional. Her Passio Sancti Pelagii is derived, she says, from an eyewitness to the martyrdom of Pelagius of Cordova.

The Book of Drama presents a Roman Catholic alternative to Terence. These are the six plays, that are not so much drama as "dialogues", and are a medieval example of closet drama.

One of the biggest debates over Hrosvitha's plays is over whether they were ever performed while she was alive. However, they are known to have been performed many times since her death, the earliest confirmation of which was in Paris in 1888.

One of Hrotsvitha's most well known plays was Gallicanus. It was also the first drama she wrote and, like another of her dramas, Calimachus, focuses on the theme of conversion. The central woman in the story is the Emperor Constantine's daughter, Constance. Constance is a consecrated Virgin, while Gallicanus is the Commander-in-Chief of Constantine's army. When Gallicanus tells Constantine that he wants to marry his daughter, Constantine goes to Constance and tells her of Gallicanus' wishes. But Constance is strong in her convictions of chastity, and Constantine supports his daughter's wishes.

Constance has a plan for her father to avoid her having to marry Gallicanus, which he happily goes along with. The conversion part comes in when they plan to have Gallicanus convert to Christianity. Constance's Grand Almoners, John and Paul, see to it that Gallicanus wants to convert when he thinks he might lose a battle, and after his victory Gallicanus has himself baptized and takes a vow of celibacy. Likewise, he informs Constantine that he can no longer marry his daughter, like Constance had planned. Constance is portrayed as an intelligent girl who has dedication and a vow of chastity, a common theme in Hrotsvitha's plays. Her faith is emphasized, as is her perseverance.

Gallicanus is comparable to one of Hrosvitha's eight legends, Agnes. Both highlight the preservation of the main female's virginity and her faithfulness to God, even though the marriage she is being offered is an honourable one. Both also deal with conversion in a very similar way, with the man seeking to marry her eventually converting himself and becoming a follower of Christ. In all of Hrovitha's works that include the preserving of one's virginity, there seems to be a pattern of it being only a female virtue.

Hrothsvitha's works fell under the categories of legends, comedies, and plays. Cardinal Gasquet said her works have "a claim to an eminent place in medieval literature, and do honor to her sex, to the age in which she lived, and to the vocation which she followed." In the early 1970s female prostitution plays were written more by women playwrights than male. Hrotsvit of Gandersheims wrote three plays about position which have been excluded by the western drama. Western theater claims that her plays of prositition fail to inspire the dramatic imitators. The significance of her plays are also overlooked because their dramaturgy diverges from what Sue-Ellen Case and Jill Dolan theorize as the male values of good playwriting, which excluded Hrothsvitha.

Other works[edit]
The third book comprised two historical writings in Latin hexameters: the Gesta Ottonis (a history of the Ottonian houses 919–65) and the Primordia coenobii Gandeshemensis (a history of her order from 846–919). The most important manuscript of her works, containing all the texts other than Primordia, is the Codex Bayerische Staatsbibliothek (Bavarian State Library) Clm 14485, a manuscript written by several, different hands in Gandersehim toward the end of the 10th or start of the 11th centuries. It was discovered by the humanist Conrad Celtis in 1493/94 in the Cloister of St. Emmeram in Regensburg and formed the first edition (illustrated by Albrecht Dürer).

Feminism
Hrothsvitha’s work was largely ignored until Conrad Celtis rediscovered and edited her work in the 1600s. In the 1970s feminists began their own rediscovery of her work. They used a feminist and gendered lens to re-contextualize her work into different feminist narratives, demonstrating that women of the past did have important roles in their societies, but their work was lost or not seen as important. Feminists have done this re-contextualization to learn about women's history, and while not claiming that these women were feminists, demonstrate how their work could be seen as feminist, demonstrating the importance of women throughout history even if they are forgotten.

This rediscovery of works written by Hrothsvitha is particularly important in theatre, where women continue to face oppression. By making historical women's works prominent, feminists in theatre are able to fight against the oppression they face by demonstrating that it is not an art created by and for men, as women have always been involved.

Hrothsvitha conceded throughout her work that women are inferior to men both physically and intellectually due to the fall of Eve. This understanding of women's roles in society is not surprising however, as Hrothsvitha received a Christian education in the 10th century. She would have been taught, lived, and written in a world in which science and religion deemed women inferior to men, as justified by Biblical works. Moreover, Hrotsvitha is seen to confirm the assumption made by many – particularly men – at this time, the woman's work is inferior and worthless, by claiming that her work is not hers but is actually the work of the Lord, who is simply working through her. Any excellence in her work is thus the excellence of God, not her. She demonstrates this by writing in a way that mimics Biblical texts. While this paints a bleak picture for Hrotsvitha as an individual who can undergo the process of re-discovery and re-contextualization by feminists, feminists have succeeded in interpreted her work as feminist work for various reasons.

Hrotsvitha makes clear throughout her writing that she believes being a virgin until death and devoting one's life to Christ is the best way to be a woman. But as feminists draw attention to Hrothsvitha also speaks about and is even understanding of other women's situations, and while critical, she can be empathetic towards mothers, and even sex workers. This demonstrates a keen understanding of women's lives and options at the time, which is important as she is the only woman at this time to write about women's lives from the perspective of a woman, which some feminists deem to be a feminist act.

While Hrothsvitha clearly sees women as the lesser and weaker sex it is clear that she use this to argue that it allows God to easily work through them. Moreover, Hrothsvitha's work makes it clear that they could use their weakness and lack of desire for sex and temptation to find grace and for their salvation and the salvation for the men around them. As feminist analysis demonstrates, this argument that women can be closer to God is feminist, as it counters women's position as lesser than men in the eyes of God.

Hrotsvitha does not show favour towards men in her writing. While she writes of women as virtuous, courageous, witty, and close to God she only speaks about one man without contempt, finding that they disproportionately susceptible to temptation. She also painted women as having the power to self determination and agency through taking the veil and abstaining from taking part in sexual relationships with men. This presents a very progressive view of women and their power for society at her time.

Moreover, feminists view her work through a feminist lens as she wrote her plays in response to the plays of Terence, a popular Pagan playwright who wrote plays that gave unfair representations of women, by painting women as immoral. As Hrotsvitha writes "Wherefore I, the strong voice of Gandersheim, have not hesitated to imitate a poet (Terence) whose works are so widely read, my object being to glorify, within the limits of my poor talent, the laudable chastity of Christian virgins in that self-same form of composition which has been used to describe the shameless acts of licentious women".

Her plays are also interpreted as feminist as they focus on the issues that effect women of her time such as marriage, rape, and being seen as an object. For example her play Dulcitius deals with a governor named Dulcituis trying to rape three young women that he has made prisoners. When he comes to rape the women their prayers to God are answered as the man begins to rape the pots and pans in the room instead as he thinks they are the women, the women watch and laugh. This has been interpreted as a feminist play as it deals with a common issue and form of oppression that women experience: rape. Moreover, feminist theorists have said that this play calls attention to the fact that women are treated like objects as Dulcitius rapes the pots and pans as he planned to rape the women. But this is not the only example as her play Callimach tells the story of a women who when rape is attempted on her wishes for death, God grants this wish and she dies before the man can rape her. Still taken by her beauty the man returns to her grave and attempts to rape her body, but when he does he is killed by a heavenly serpent. Feminists have argued that this represents a connection between women and nature, which is common in different understandings of feminism such as ecofeminists. Finally, both of these plays demonstrate something that is key to Hrothsvitha's work, and is seen as important for women who are now seen as feminist from her time: that religion can provide women with freedom and independence from men, allowing for them to empower themselves.

Feminism also see the work of Hrotsvitha as important, as she helps feminists reimagine women within theatre, while challenging the roles they have typically been given. She contributes to the work of women and feminists within theatre by confirming the theory that "as long as there is theatre, as long as there are women, as long as there is an imperfect society, there will be women's theatre". Hrothsvitha does this simply by having written her plays which largely focus on the same issues as women focus on now, but also by the fact that her plays do the same thing women in theatre are doing now, speaking truth to power and countering male dominance of the field.

Gender[edit]
As the earliest known woman writer in the German lands, Hrotsvitha was keenly aware that her gender made her less likely to be taken seriously in her contemporary society, this is made clear particularly as she wrote her works largely in response to the male play write Terence. He depicted women in a way that Hrotsvitha deemed inaccurate and insulting as he did not write about women with Christian values. While Hrosvitha accepts that women are inferior and thus are less suited to writing then men, she works to validate her work in the eyes of the reader by claiming that her work was actually the work of God who was working through her. In the prologue to The Book Of Legends, Hrotsvitha says that “Scorn he should not render at the writer’s weaker gender/ Who these small lines had sung with a woman’s untutored tongue/ But rather should he praise the Lord’s celestial grace”, or in simpler terms that what was important was not that she was a woman but rather that she God was speaking through her. However, despite her role as a “clarion voice,” Hrotsvitha still felt compelled to submit her works “to the examination of learned clerks” for approval, invoking a "testimony of three... to constitute truth."

Hrotsvitha’s work also questions the gender binary and specifically the roles that are assigned to different genders. She questions the gender binary that recognizing while sex may be something that is unchangeable she posits that women can break out of what is expected of them as women using Christianity. Moreover, by writing primarily about women she often replaces masculine values with female values. For some feminists this speaks to the idea that gender is socially constructed, which is important as it demonstrates that even classical works question gender and its prescriptivism.

Modern perceptions of Hrotsvitha[edit]
As a female author in the 10th century her work was largely ignored until it was re-discovered and edited by Conrad Celtis in the 1600s. Since then many authors have taken up the work of  re-discovering her work, translating, and editing it. This means the majority of works read about Hrothsvitha --including translations of her original texts-- are actually being written and thus represented by others, meaning that mis-representation is possible. For example it is believed that the naming of Hrotsvitha plays after men and not women may have been done by Celtis and not Hrotsvitha as her works largely centre women and their experiences, making these titles inconsistent with what is presented in her work. Moreover, it has been demonstrated that Celtis may have misrepresented her work due to his own implicit biases. While the translator Christabel Marshall appears to impose his own understandings of what a 10th century canoness would be like or would have thought by making her seem timid in his translations. Katharina Wilson does a similar thing in Hrothvitha's work by translating her to seem more humble than she actually is. This has lead some to posit that Colleen Butler is the person who  represented Hrotsvitha’s work best as she represents the true comedic nature of her work, by being able to deduce the unwritten context of this writing.

Large scale accumulations and studies of writings by and about Hrothvitha however demonstrate that while there may be some small mis-representations of Hrothvitha's work, her message, and the little known facts about her life remain relatively consistent.

Despite Hrothsvitha's importance as the first known female playwright, her work was not seen as important, performed, or translated into modern languages such as English until the 1600s due to the work of Celtis. Despite this rediscovery however, and the knowledge that she was and is influential in the history of literature she is often omitted by writers when they write about the history of plays and literature. Moreover, the majority of her works are focused on for their Catholicism and not for their impact on women at the time she wrote them or now, even though she is the first known author to speak to and for a female audience. These are both indicative of the way that Hrothsvitha is viewed today, but despite the blatant omission of Hrothsvitha, and lack of attention to the gendered aspects of her work, feminists continue to do the work of studying her work, honouring it, and working to interpret it as feminist.

Texts and translations


 * Winterfeld, Paul von (ed.) (1902) Hrotsvithae opera. (Monumenta Germaniae Historica; SS. rer. Germanicarum) Available from Digital MGH online.
 * Strecker, Karl (ed.) (1902) Hrotsvithae opera.
 * Berschin, Walter (ed.). Hrotsvit: Opera Omnia. Bibliotheca Scriptorum Graecorum et Romanorum Teubneriana. Munich/Leipzig, 2001. ISBN 3-598-71912-4
 * Pelagius in Petroff, Elizabeth Alvilda, ed. (1986) Medieval Women's Visionary Literature, pp 114–24. ISBN 0-19-503712-X
 * Abraham in Petroff, Elizabeth Alvilda, ed. (1986) Medieval Women's Visionary Literature, pp 124–35. ISBN 0-19-503712-X
 * Hrotsvit von Gandersheim, Sämtliche Dichtungen; aus dem Mittellateinischen übertragen von Otto Baumhauer, Jacob Bendixen und Theodor Gottfried Pfund; mit einer Einführung von Berg Nagel. München: Winkler, 1966.
 * Hrotsvitha von Gandersheim. Munich, 1973 (German translations by H. Hohmeyer).
 * Hrotsvitha Gandeshemensis, Gesta Ottonis Imperatoris. Lotte, drammi e trionfi nel destino di un imperatore. A cura di Maria Pasqualina Pillolla, Firenze, SISMEL Edizioni del Galluzzo, 2003
 * The Plays of Hrotswitha of Gandersheim: bilingual edition / translated by Larissa Bonfante; edited by Robert Chipok. Mundelein, IL: Bolchazy-Carducci, 2013. [Latin and English on facing pages.] ISBN 978-0-86516-783-4
 * Roswitha of Gandersheim. The Plays of Roswitha. Trans. Christopher St. John. London: Chatto, 1923. ISBN 978-1296739898.

Contemporary references[edit]
Hrotsvitha fountain, Gandersheim Since 1973 Bad Gandersheim has annually awarded the Roswitha Prize, named for Hrosvitha, to female writers; since 1974 the Roswitha Ring has been awarded at the close of each summer season of the Gandersheimer Domfestspiele to the outstanding actress.

The artwork The Dinner Party features a place setting for Hrosvitha.

In 2006, American feminist drama group Guerrilla Girls On Tour issued the "First Annual Hrosvitha Challenge" on their website, announcing that they would bestow the First Annual Hrosvitha Award on whichever professional theater decides "to scrap their plans of producing yet another production of a Greek tragedy and instead produce a play by Hrosvitha, the first female playwright".

The Hroswitha Club is an association of women book collectors founded in New York City in 1944. Members included co-founder Sarah Gildersleeve Fife and Frances Hooper. The club published Hroswitha of Gandersheim: Her life, times, and works in 1965.

Hrotsvitha is frequently referred to in John Kennedy Toole's comic novel A Confederacy of Dunces, in which she is called Hroswitha.

Asteroid 615 Roswitha is named in her honour.

A play on Hrotsvita, on her playwriting career and touches of the secular in her plays, was penned by Amit Maitra of Howrah, a suburb of Kolkata, and is now being performed in Kolkata by a theatre group.