Irene Stoehr (1941–2023) was a German historian and social scientist recognized for her contributions to the field of gender history (Geschlechtergeschichte) and the history of the women's movement in Germany. Her scholarship primarily focused on the social and political dynamics of the German bourgeois women's movement (bürgerliche Frauenbewegung) from the late 19th century through the mid-20th century.
Stoehr's academic work is noted for its critical analysis of the relationship between organized feminism and the German state. Her influential study, Emanzipation zum Staat? (1990), examined the Bund Deutscher Frauenvereine (League of German Women's Associations) between 1894 and 1933. In this research, she explored how the movement navigated political integration and how activists utilized the concept of "spiritual motherhood" (geistige Mütterlichkeit) to justify female participation in public life and social welfare.
Throughout her career, Stoehr was a significant figure in the development of "Frauenforschung" (women's research) in West Germany. She contributed to the professionalization of feminist historiography and served as a researcher and publicist. Her publications addressed various aspects of social history, including the status of women during the Weimar Republic and the evolution of the women's movement in the post-World War II era. Stoehr remained an active voice in historical discourse until her death in 2023.