Today is International Women’s Day. A day that, despite the constant news about war and the pandemic, focuses on the women’s rights movement. Indeed, it is an important day to draw attention to issues such as gender equality, reproductive rights, violence and abuse against women and to commemorate women’s cultural, political and socio-economic achievements.
To mark the occasion, we have compiled a list of 8 strong women in German history. They not only asserted their own freedoms and rights: With their efforts, they established the idea that men and women have equal rights, which is taken for granted today.
Clara Zetkin
Clara Zetkin (1857-1933) fought tirelessly for the emancipation of women. She argued that women could only be emancipated once they were no longer economically dependent on men. The politician called for women’s suffrage as well as free choice of profession and health and safety laws for women. But that was not all: the fearless Clara Zetkin called for resistance against National Socialism!
Louise Aston
Louise Aston (1814-1871) also fought for equal rights in her own unique way. She was provocative with her behavior, wore men’s clothing and smoked in the street. This led to her being guarded by the police and even expelled from Berlin. She was also “provocative” with her texts, in which she stood for emancipation and free personal development. But she also published the odd erotic poem. She was a woman who refused to be defeated!
Elisabeth Selbert
Dr. Elisabeth Selbert (1896-1968), lawyer and politician, is also known as the “mother of the Basic Law“. After the end of the war, she campaigned for equal rights and ensured that the following sentence was included in the Basic Law: “Men and women have equal rights”. It took her several attempts to achieve this, but Selbert refused to give in. A strong woman who achieved great things.
Sophie Scholl
Sophie Scholl (1921-1943) is probably one of the most courageous women in German history. Together with her brother, she founded the “White Rose” group, which rebelled against National Socialism – with the help of leaflets. She was sentenced to death by the Nazis for this. To honor the Scholl siblings, many streets, paths, squares and schools in Germany were named after them.
Dorothea Christiane Erxleben
Dorothea Christiane Erxleben (1715-1762) fought to be allowed to study as a woman. And that in the 18th century! Despite her extensive medical knowledge, she was denied access to university, unlike her brother. And so she turned to Frederick the Great. 13 years later, she held her doctorate in her hands. Why so long? As a woman, she had to look after her family on the side. A real power woman!
Helene Lange
Helene Lange (1848-1930), who worked as a teacher in Berlin, was a strong advocate for the education of girls and women. Her intention was to ensure that women no longer had to feel inferior and could become independent of men. She was also particularly courageous, as she lived out her relationship with her partner Gertrud Bäumer openly.
Fanny Lewald
Fanny Lewald (1811-1889) was a writer and one thing above all: independent. And she wanted this for all women. She campaigned strongly against forced marriages. In her youth, she herself had successfully resisted marrying a man she did not love. She also campaigned to make it easier for women to file for divorce. Lewald financed herself with her writing. A truly emancipated woman, even in the 19th century! This is why she is still considered one of the pioneers of women’s emancipation today.
Alice Schwarzer
Alice Schwarz er (*1942) is also described as the icon of German feminism. She campaigns for equal rights for women and often goes one step further than others. For example, she sued the editor-in-chief of Stern magazine for portraying women as sex objects. She is also a strong advocate for the legalization and against the taboo of abortion. She is also the founder and editor-in-chief of the feminist magazine Emma. A woman who makes a difference.
This article was originally published by Sonja Wickerath in Secret Berlin.