The Vulture Maiden
| Author | Wilhelmine von Hillern |
|---|---|
| Original title | Die Geier-Wally |
| Language | German |
| Publisher | Deutsche Rundschau |
Publication date | January–February 1875 |
| Publication place | Germany |
| Pages | 338 |
The Vulture Maiden (German: Die Geier-Wally. Eine Geschichte aus den Tiroler Alpen) is an 1875 novel by the German writer Wilhelmine von Hillern. It is about Walburga "Wally" Stromminger, a young woman in the Tyrolean Alps, who has a pet bearded vulture and goes through hardships and amorous intrigues. It was inspired by an episode in the life of Anna Stainer-Knittel.
The novel was serialised in Deutsche Rundschau in January and February 1875 and published as a book in two volumes by Paetel in Berlin the same year. It became highly popular in the German-speaking world. It influenced the popular view of the Alps and has been adapted multiple times for stage and screen, beginning with Hillern's own theatre adaptation in 1880.