Ella Negruzzi (1876–1948) was a
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...
n
lawyer
A lawyer is a person who practices law. The role of a lawyer varies greatly across different legal jurisdictions. A lawyer can be classified as an advocate, attorney, barrister, canon lawyer, civil law notary, counsel, counselor, solic ...
and women's rights activist, and the
first female lawyer in Romania (1913). She was a co-founder of the women's organization ''
Association for the Civil and Political Emancipation of Romanian Women'' (1917), the ''
Group of Democratic Lawyers'' (1935) and the ''
Women's Front
The Women's Front ( no, italic=no, Kvinnefronten) is a Norwegian radical feminist organization founded in 1972. It was historically associated with the now defunct Workers' Communist Party
History
The organization was founded in 1972 and grew o ...
'' (1936).
Early life
Ella Negruzzi was born on 11 September 1876 in
Hermeziu, in the
Moldavia Region of the recently formed country of
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...
. Though her mother's identity is unknown, she grew up in a household of prominent men. Her father was the writer
Leon C. Negruzzi; her uncle,
Iacob Negruzzi
Iacob C. Negruzzi (December 31, 1842 – January 6, 1932) was a Moldavian, later Romanian poet and prose writer.
Born in Iași, he was the son of Constantin Negruzzi and his wife Maria (''née'' Gane). Living in Berlin between 1853 and 1863, he at ...
was also a writer and twice served as president of the
Romanian Academy
The Romanian Academy ( ro, Academia Română ) is a cultural forum founded in Bucharest, Romania, in 1866. It covers the scientific, artistic and literary domains. The academy has 181 active members who are elected for life.
According to its byl ...
; and her grandfather
Constantin Negruzzi
Constantin Negruzzi (; first name often Costache ; 1808–24 August 1868) was a Romanian poet, novelist, translator, playwright, and politician.
Born in Trifești, Iași, Trifeștii Vechi, Moldavia, he studied at home with a Greek teacher. He ad ...
at one time served as the mayor of
Iași
Iași ( , , ; also known by other alternative names), also referred to mostly historically as Jassy ( , ), is the second largest city in Romania and the seat of Iași County. Located in the historical region of Moldavia, it has traditionally ...
. Her brother, Mihai
(ro), would become a general in the Romanian army. Negruzzi attended primary school in Iași and went on to complete her secondary education at the Externatul Girls school, (now known as Mihai Eminescu College).
Negruzzi's father died when she was a teenager and her uncle, Iacob took over the responsibility for ensuring that she and Mihai completed their education. She continued her education, at the
University of Iaşi
The Alexandru Ioan Cuza University (Romanian: ''Universitatea „Alexandru Ioan Cuza"''; acronym: UAIC) is a public university located in Iași, Romania. Founded by an 1860 decree of Prince Alexandru Ioan Cuza, under whom the former Academia Mih ...
, studying history, law and philosophy. In 1913, she became the first woman to try to register for the
bar examination
A bar examination is an examination administered by the bar association of a jurisdiction that a lawyer must pass in order to be admitted to the bar of that jurisdiction.
Australia
Administering bar exams is the responsibility of the bar associa ...
in Iaşi. The request was rejected on the basis that women were not permitted to be public participants and were barred specifically from practicing law. Negruzzi moved to
Galaţi to make a second attempt. She secured the support of Corneliu Botez, a prominent local attorney, but was also rejected. In 1917, she and other feminists, including
Elena Meissner
Elena Meissner also called Elena Buznea-Meissner, (born Elena Buznea; 1867–1940) was a Romanian feminist and suffragist. She was the co-founder of the Romanian women's movement organisation '' Asociația de Emancipare Civilă și Politică a Fem ...
, submitted a petition to the
Senate
A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
demanding civil and political rights for women, but it was rejected. The following year, she was one of the co-founders of the
Association for the Civil and Political Emancipation of Romanian Women ( ro, Asociafia pentru emanciparea civild si politicd a femeilor romane (AECPFR)). The association platform pressed for the right of women to participate in civil society, including access to education, employment, and
politics
Politics (from , ) is the set of activities that are associated with making decisions in groups, or other forms of power relations among individuals, such as the distribution of resources or status. The branch of social science that studies ...
. In 1919, she made her third attempt to take the bar examination, applying in
Ilfov County
Ilfov () is the county that surrounds Bucharest, the capital of Romania. It used to be largely rural, but, after the fall of Communism, many of the county's villages and communes developed into high-income commuter towns, which act like suburbs ...
at
Bucharest
Bucharest ( , ; ro, București ) is the capital and largest city of Romania, as well as its cultural, industrial, and financial centre. It is located in the southeast of the country, on the banks of the Dâmbovița River, less than north of ...
and was finally allowed to take the exam. Six years after her first attempt, in 1920, Negruzzi became the first woman allowed to practice law in Romania.
Career
After receiving her credentials, Negruzzi began practicing law in Galaţi and later moved to Bucharest. She continued her feminist activities, and in the interwar period, she and Meissner were the principal leaders of AECPFR. She became a prolific writer, touching on issues that limited women's participation, like their limited ability to obtain jobs and the restrictions which made them the most likely to be fired, if they did secure work. She worked to establish networks of vocational schools and worker cooperatives in rural areas to expand opportunities for women's employment. She also argued for the education and rehabilitation of
prostitutes
Prostitution is the business or practice of engaging in sexual activity in exchange for payment. The definition of "sexual activity" varies, and is often defined as an activity requiring physical contact (e.g., sexual intercourse, non-penet ...
, rather than their social scorn. During the period leading to the adoption of the
1923 Constitution of Romania
The 1923 Constitution of Romania, also called the Constitution of Union, was intended to align the organisation of the state on the basis of universal male suffrage and the new realities that arose after the Great Union of 1918.
History
Four d ...
, worked tirelessly for women to be recognized as political actors. The changes women sought were somewhat successful and in Negruzzi joined the
National Peasants' Party
The National Peasants' Party (also known as the National Peasant Party or National Farmers' Party; ro, Partidul Național Țărănesc, or ''Partidul Național-Țărănist'', PNȚ) was an agrarian political party in the Kingdom of Romania. It w ...
. In 1929, when women were allowed to participate in local elections as candidates for the first time, she ran for office in Bucharest. Along with
Calypso Botez
Calypso Botez (1880–1933), was a Romanian writer, suffragist and women's rights activist.
Life
Botez was born in 1880 in Bacău. She graduated from the University of Iasi. Botez then lived in Bucharest where she taught at a secondary school a ...
and
Alexandrina Cantacuzino
Alexandrina "Didina" Cantacuzino ( Pallady; also known as Alexandrina Grigore Cantacuzino and ( Francized) Alexandrine Cantacuzène; 20 September 1876 – 1944) was a Romanian political activist, philanthropist and diplomat, one of her country's l ...
, Negruzzi became one of the first six women elected to serve as city council members.
During the worldwide
Great Depression
The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...
of the 1930s, the Constitution changed again in 1932 to grant women nearly equal civil status as men, but at the same time, the government began a campaign to limit women's ability to work or receive social benefits. As the
Nazis rose to power in Germany, Negruzzi spoke out against war and was an active
anti-fascist
Anti-fascism is a political movement in opposition to fascist ideologies, groups and individuals. Beginning in European countries in the 1920s, it was at its most significant shortly before and during World War II, where the Axis powers were ...
. She helped found the Group of Democratic Lawyers ( ro, Grupul avocaţilor democraţi) in 1935, to fight against the spread of fascism. In 1936, Negruzzi founded the organization
Women's Front
The Women's Front ( no, italic=no, Kvinnefronten) is a Norwegian radical feminist organization founded in 1972. It was historically associated with the now defunct Workers' Communist Party
History
The organization was founded in 1972 and grew o ...
( ro, Frontul feminin), to train women in organizing to defend their cultural, socio-economic and political rights. Negruzzi became the target of numerous death threats for her defense of
Ana Pauker
Ana Pauker (born Hannah Rabinsohn; 13 February 1893 – 3 June 1960) was a Romanian communist leader and served as the country's foreign minister in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Ana Pauker became the world's first female foreign minister whe ...
. When
King Carol II
Carol II (4 April 1953) was King of Romania from 8 June 1930 until his forced abdication on 6 September 1940. The eldest son of Ferdinand I, he became crown prince upon the death of his grand-uncle, King Carol I in 1914. He was the first of t ...
's regime evolved into a dictatorship and he forced the closure of AECPFR, she was forced to retreat from public participation, but refused to cooperate with his policies.
Death and legacy
Negruzzi died on 19 December 1948 in
Bucharest
Bucharest ( , ; ro, București ) is the capital and largest city of Romania, as well as its cultural, industrial, and financial centre. It is located in the southeast of the country, on the banks of the Dâmbovița River, less than north of ...
. She was remembered for her prominent role in establishing women's rights in Romania.
See also
*
First women lawyers around the world
This is a list of the first women lawyer(s) and judge(s) in each country. It includes the year in which the women were admitted to practice law (in parentheses). Also included are the first women in their country to achieve a certain distinction su ...
References
Citations
Bibliography
*
*
*
*
*
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Further reading
* Cosma, Ghizela, Femeile şi politica în România: evoluţia dreptului de vot în perioada interbelică, Presa Universitară Clujeană, Cluj-Napoca, 2002
* George Marcu (coord.), Dicţionarul personalităţilor feminine din România, Editura Meronia, București, 2009.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Negruzzi, Ella
1876 births
1948 deaths
People from Iași County
Romanian women's rights activists
Romanian feminists
19th-century Romanian people
Romanian women lawyers