Gertrude the Great (1256–1301/1302) was a German mystic who lived in the Benedictine-Cistercian monastery of Helfta near Eisleben in present-day Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Her revelations and visions, along with those of Mechthild of Hackeborn (1240/1241–1298) and Mechthild of Magdeburg (ca. 1207–ca. 1282/1294), were recorded by and primarily for the Helfta community; the writings associated with these three spiritually blessed religious constitute the largest body of mystical writing by women in the thirteenth century. The Herald of God’s Loving-Kindness ( Legatus divinae pietatis), written in part by Gertrude, documents her life and mystical experiences; the Spiritual Exercises ( Exercitia spiritualia), also commonly attributed to her, comprises prayers, meditations, and supplications intended to guide other religious, especially women, on their own spiritual journey. Both works are replete with scriptural and patristic references and rich in imagery, especially images related to Christ’s divine heart. In addition, Gertrude likely contributed to the writing of The Book of Special Grace ( Liber specialis gratiae), which chronicles the life and visions of Mechthild of Hackeborn. The works by and associated with Gertrude were preserved in Latin. Few manuscripts of the Herald have survived, and none of the Spiritual Exercises are extant. With the translation of her writings into German beginning in the fourteenth century and especially after the publication of the Latin edition in the sixteenth century, the Helfta nun became more well known. Although never officially canonized, her name was added to the Roman martyrology in 1677. The epithet “the Great” was bestowed upon her in 1738.