Anita Augspurg
Encyclopedia
Anita Augspurg was a German lawyer, actor, writer and feminist.
, she was trained for teaching at secondary schools for girls and took acting classes in parallel. From 1881 to 1882, she was as an apprentice to the ensemble of the Meiningen Ensemble
and took part in the concert tours, across Germany
, the Netherlands
and Lithuania
. Her maternal grandmother, who died in 1887, left her a considerable inheritance, which made her financially independent.
After a five-year career as an actress, she went with her friend Sophia Goudstikker to Munich
, where in 1887 they jointly opened a photo studio, the Hofatelier Elvira
. The two women wore short hair, unconventional clothing, and frequently made public their support for the struggle for the liberation of women and their free lifestyle. Because of their unusual lifestyle, Augspurg's life was exposed to personal attacks by anti-feminists far more than other personalities of the women's movement, exposed. Nonetheless, Augspurg's contacts made through the photo studio and the stage in Munich quickly made her well-known, and she eventually had the Bavarian royal family as a customer.
By 1890 Augspurg was deeply involved in the German women's movement and practiced as a public speaker. Her commitment to women's rights was the reason why she decided, after several years of successful work, to work towards a law degree. She moved to study at the University of Zurich
, because women in Germany still did not have equal access to universities. In addition to Rosa Luxembourg, with whom she had a turbulent relationship, she was one of the founders of the International Students Association. She completed her studies with a doctorate in 1897 and was the first doctor of law of the German Empire
. However, she could not practice as a lawyer, since women were not yet allowed.
In 1895, Augspurg had meanwhile begun to collaborate in the newspaper Die Frauenbewegung ("The Women's Movement") with articles denouncing the discrimination she was subjected to in social legislation, describing in particular the marriage
as a form of legalized prostitution
. In 1896 she participated in the International Conference of Women held in Berlin, where she met the radical feminist Lida Gustava Heymann
who became her companion for the remainder of her life.
At the turn of the century, Augspurg campaigned for women's rights in the German Civil Code
: she brought together her political friends, Minna Cauer
and Marie Raschke, producing petitions on the new marriage and family law, which showed only partial effect. Augspurg published a sensational "Open Letter" in 1905, in which she appealed to change the then prevailing patriarchal marriage law in order to enter into "free marriage", in defiance of state-approved marriage. This was interpreted as a call to boycott marriage and then triggered a storm of indignation. During this time, following the radical split from the conservative women's organizations, many women considered the radical women's suffrage
as a priority. Augspurg and her partner Lida Gustava Heymann worked together in the Board of the Association of Progressive Women's Organizations. They formed an association for women's suffrage in Hamburg (1902), and later in Bavaria (1913). Starting in 1907, Augspurg contributed to Zeitschrift für Frauenstimmrecht, and was represented in 1919 in the magazine Die Frau im Staat in which feminist, radical democratic and pacifist positions were published.
In the First World War, Augspurg and Heymann participated in women's peace conferences and held illegal gatherings from their Munich apartment. They were involved in founding the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom
(IFFF), where Heymann was Vice President. Because of the common pacifist convictions, cooperation offered by the now separate from the Social Democratic Party
, the Independent Social Democrats
, the differences with the former socialist Clara Zetkin
women to become less important. Augspurg collaborated with Kurt Eisner
, and after the proclamation of the Weimar Republic
in 1918 in Munich, became Bavarian member of the provisional Landtag of Bavaria
. In the following elections, they soon ran on the list of Independent Social Democrats, but gained no mandate.
In 1933, due to the takeover of the Nazi Party
, Augspurg did not return from a winter trip because she and Heymann feared reprisals. A crucial reason was that she had in 1923 applied for in person, together with Bavarian Interior Minister
Heymann, the expulsion of the Austrian Adolf Hitler for sedition. Their property was confiscated, and their records were lost. She went to live in exile in Switzerland together with Heymann.
Opposed to the war, she proposed forms of active boycott. During the Weimar Republic
, she practiced law and, in addition to supporting the policy objective of ending capitalism
and organizing a matriarchy
as a future society, she continued to fight against all forms of discrimination by gender and nationality, for general disarmament, and for the independence of all nations oppressed by the colonialism
. Opposed to antisemitism and the nascent Nazism
when Hitler took power, she and Heymann went into exile in South America
and subsequently returned to Europe to settle in Zurich
. There she died in 1943 a few months after her partner. Like Heymann, she is buried in the Fluntern Cemetery
in Zurich.
Biography
The fifth daughter of a lawyer, during her adolescence Augspurg often worked in her father's law office. In BerlinBerlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, she was trained for teaching at secondary schools for girls and took acting classes in parallel. From 1881 to 1882, she was as an apprentice to the ensemble of the Meiningen Ensemble
Meiningen Ensemble
The Meiningen Ensemble, also known as the Meiningen Company, was the court theatre of the German state of Saxe-Meiningen, led by Georg II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen. Its principal director was Ludwig Chronegk...
and took part in the concert tours, across Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
and Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
. Her maternal grandmother, who died in 1887, left her a considerable inheritance, which made her financially independent.
After a five-year career as an actress, she went with her friend Sophia Goudstikker to Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, where in 1887 they jointly opened a photo studio, the Hofatelier Elvira
Hofatelier Elvira
The Hofatelier Elvira was a photography studio in Munich founded by Anita Augspurg and Sophia Goudstikker in 1887...
. The two women wore short hair, unconventional clothing, and frequently made public their support for the struggle for the liberation of women and their free lifestyle. Because of their unusual lifestyle, Augspurg's life was exposed to personal attacks by anti-feminists far more than other personalities of the women's movement, exposed. Nonetheless, Augspurg's contacts made through the photo studio and the stage in Munich quickly made her well-known, and she eventually had the Bavarian royal family as a customer.
By 1890 Augspurg was deeply involved in the German women's movement and practiced as a public speaker. Her commitment to women's rights was the reason why she decided, after several years of successful work, to work towards a law degree. She moved to study at the University of Zurich
University of Zurich
The University of Zurich , located in the city of Zurich, is the largest university in Switzerland, with over 25,000 students. It was founded in 1833 from the existing colleges of theology, law, medicine and a new faculty of philosophy....
, because women in Germany still did not have equal access to universities. In addition to Rosa Luxembourg, with whom she had a turbulent relationship, she was one of the founders of the International Students Association. She completed her studies with a doctorate in 1897 and was the first doctor of law of the German Empire
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
. However, she could not practice as a lawyer, since women were not yet allowed.
In 1895, Augspurg had meanwhile begun to collaborate in the newspaper Die Frauenbewegung ("The Women's Movement") with articles denouncing the discrimination she was subjected to in social legislation, describing in particular the marriage
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
as a form of legalized prostitution
Prostitution
Prostitution is the act or practice of providing sexual services to another person in return for payment. The person who receives payment for sexual services is called a prostitute and the person who receives such services is known by a multitude of terms, including a "john". Prostitution is one of...
. In 1896 she participated in the International Conference of Women held in Berlin, where she met the radical feminist Lida Gustava Heymann
Lida Gustava Heymann
Lida Gustava Heymann was a German women's rights activist.Together with her partner and girlfriend Anita Augspurg she was one of the most prominent figures in the bourgeois women's movement...
who became her companion for the remainder of her life.
At the turn of the century, Augspurg campaigned for women's rights in the German Civil Code
Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch
The Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch is the civil code of Germany. In development since 1881, it became effective on January 1, 1900, and was considered a massive and groundbreaking project....
: she brought together her political friends, Minna Cauer
Minna Cauer
Wilhelmine Theodore Marie Cauer, née Schelle, usually known as Minna Cauer was a German educator, journalist and radical activist within the middle-class women's movement.-Life:...
and Marie Raschke, producing petitions on the new marriage and family law, which showed only partial effect. Augspurg published a sensational "Open Letter" in 1905, in which she appealed to change the then prevailing patriarchal marriage law in order to enter into "free marriage", in defiance of state-approved marriage. This was interpreted as a call to boycott marriage and then triggered a storm of indignation. During this time, following the radical split from the conservative women's organizations, many women considered the radical women's suffrage
Women's suffrage
Women's suffrage or woman suffrage is the right of women to vote and to run for office. The expression is also used for the economic and political reform movement aimed at extending these rights to women and without any restrictions or qualifications such as property ownership, payment of tax, or...
as a priority. Augspurg and her partner Lida Gustava Heymann worked together in the Board of the Association of Progressive Women's Organizations. They formed an association for women's suffrage in Hamburg (1902), and later in Bavaria (1913). Starting in 1907, Augspurg contributed to Zeitschrift für Frauenstimmrecht, and was represented in 1919 in the magazine Die Frau im Staat in which feminist, radical democratic and pacifist positions were published.
In the First World War, Augspurg and Heymann participated in women's peace conferences and held illegal gatherings from their Munich apartment. They were involved in founding the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom
Women's International League for Peace and Freedom
The Women's International League for Peace and Freedom was established in the United States in January 1915 as the Woman's Peace Party...
(IFFF), where Heymann was Vice President. Because of the common pacifist convictions, cooperation offered by the now separate from the Social Democratic Party
Social Democratic Party of Germany
The Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany...
, the Independent Social Democrats
Independent Social Democratic Party of Germany
The Independent Social Democratic Party of Germany was a short-lived political party in Germany during the Second Reich and the Weimar Republic. The organization was established in 1917 as the result of a split of left wing members of the Social Democratic Party of Germany...
, the differences with the former socialist Clara Zetkin
Clara Zetkin
Clara Zetkin was a German Marxist theorist, activist, and fighter for women's rights. In 1910, she organized the first International Women's Day....
women to become less important. Augspurg collaborated with Kurt Eisner
Kurt Eisner
Kurt Eisner was a Bavarian politician and journalist. As a German socialist journalist and statesman, he organized the Socialist Revolution that overthrew the Wittelsbach monarchy in Bavaria in November 1918....
, and after the proclamation of the Weimar Republic
Weimar Republic
The Weimar Republic is the name given by historians to the parliamentary republic established in 1919 in Germany to replace the imperial form of government...
in 1918 in Munich, became Bavarian member of the provisional Landtag of Bavaria
Landtag of Bavaria
The Landtag of Bavaria is the unicameral legislature of the state of Bavaria in Germany. Between 1946 and 1999 there was an upper house, the Senate of Bavaria. The parliament meets in the Maximilianeum....
. In the following elections, they soon ran on the list of Independent Social Democrats, but gained no mandate.
In 1933, due to the takeover of the Nazi Party
Machtergreifung
Machtergreifung is a German word meaning "seizure of power". It is normally used specifically to refer to the Nazi takeover of power in the democratic Weimar Republic on 30 January 1933, the day Hitler was sworn in as Chancellor of Germany, turning it into the Nazi German dictatorship.-Term:The...
, Augspurg did not return from a winter trip because she and Heymann feared reprisals. A crucial reason was that she had in 1923 applied for in person, together with Bavarian Interior Minister
Bavarian Ministry of the Interior
The Bavarian Ministry of the Interior is the interior ministry of Bavaria. It is headquartered in Munich, and was established on November 21, 1806 as the Departement des Innern...
Heymann, the expulsion of the Austrian Adolf Hitler for sedition. Their property was confiscated, and their records were lost. She went to live in exile in Switzerland together with Heymann.
Opposed to the war, she proposed forms of active boycott. During the Weimar Republic
Weimar Republic
The Weimar Republic is the name given by historians to the parliamentary republic established in 1919 in Germany to replace the imperial form of government...
, she practiced law and, in addition to supporting the policy objective of ending capitalism
Capitalism
Capitalism is an economic system that became dominant in the Western world following the demise of feudalism. There is no consensus on the precise definition nor on how the term should be used as a historical category...
and organizing a matriarchy
Matriarchy
A matriarchy is a society in which females, especially mothers, have the central roles of political leadership and moral authority. It is also sometimes called a gynocratic or gynocentric society....
as a future society, she continued to fight against all forms of discrimination by gender and nationality, for general disarmament, and for the independence of all nations oppressed by the colonialism
Colonialism
Colonialism is the establishment, maintenance, acquisition and expansion of colonies in one territory by people from another territory. It is a process whereby the metropole claims sovereignty over the colony and the social structure, government, and economics of the colony are changed by...
. Opposed to antisemitism and the nascent Nazism
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
when Hitler took power, she and Heymann went into exile in South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
and subsequently returned to Europe to settle in Zurich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
. There she died in 1943 a few months after her partner. Like Heymann, she is buried in the Fluntern Cemetery
Fluntern Cemetery
Also known as Friedhof Fluntern, Fluntern Cemetery is located in the Zürichberg district of Zürich. It contains the graves of James Joyce, Therese Giehse, Elias Canetti, and Warja Lavater....
in Zurich.
Publications
- Lida Gustava Heymann, Anita Augspurg, Erlebtes, Erschautes. Deutsche Frauen kämpfen für Freiheit, Recht und Frieden, Hellmann, Frankfurt/M. 1992 ISBN 3-927164-43-7
- Ueber die Entstehung und Praxis der Volksvertretung in England. Knorr & Hirth, München 1898, zugleich: Dissertation, Zürich 1898