Grethe Bartram was born in Aarhus, and grew up in a poor household, the second of eight children; both her parents were members of the Communist Party of Denmark (DKP), as were the social circles of the family.
Grethe Bartram, Aarhus'ta doğdu ve sekiz çocuğun ikincisi olarak fakir bir evde büyüdü; Hem ailesi hem de Danimarka Komünist Partisi (DKP) üyesiydi ve ailenin sosyal çevreleri vardı.