German actress and stage director, trained under Lucie Höflich. She was the daughter of a Jewish author and journalist and appeared on stage at the Deutschen Theater in 1946, subsequently joining Brecht's Berlin Ensemble until 1958. She was especially acclaimed for her role as the mute Kattrin in "Mother Courage". Hurwicz acted in several East German Defa films during the 1950's, moving to the West during the following decade. In 1978, she became the first female director at Vienna's Burgtheater. Her later screen roles were primarily for television.