Elżbieta Ciechanowska (18 November 1875,

Bochnia Bochnia (german: Salzberg) is a town on the river Raba in southern Poland. The town lies approximately halfway between Tarnów (east) and the regional capital Kraków (west). Bochnia is most noted for its salt mine, the oldest functioning i ...

– 29 April 1948,

Kraków Kraków (), or Cracow, is the second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city dates back to the seventh century. Kraków was the official capital of Poland until 1596 ...

), pen names E.C., E.C. Dulska, E. Cedulska, was a Polish

women's rights Women's rights are the rights and entitlements claimed for women and girls worldwide. They formed the basis for the women's rights movement in the 19th century and the feminist movements during the 20th and 21st centuries. In some countries, ...

and labor activist, musician and poet.

Life

Born in Bochnia, Ciechanowska moved to Kraków in 1883. She graduated from Kraków conservatory as the best student in harmony class of professor Władysław Żeleński, who called her "Bach" to praise her talent. In years 1894–1903 she kept a diary. Described as a shy and modest person, she decided to not pursue a piano or music teaching career and became a postal clerk. She joined the 1905-established Association of Galician Postal Clerks and devoted herself to the Association, politics and women's rights. As part of the Association, mutual economic aid was provided to female members, the professional interests of postal clerks were looked after, petitions were written to the authorities, and a library was established. Since at that time only unmarried women were accepted to work in post offices, the Association served as a

trade union A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits ...

and community that provided the workers with a sense of group belonging, financial aid, and support. The group's postulates emphasized the importance of women's emancipation, which would allow them

workers rights Labor rights or workers' rights are both legal rights and human rights relating to labor relations between workers and employers. These rights are codified in national and international labor and employment law. In general, these rights influe ...

; including overtime pay, holidays, sick pay and a better retirement pension. They also demanded equal treatment in employment for positions and departments previously restricted to men. When the association obtained a plot at 4 Sołtyka Street in 1913, and decided to build its first housing unit, Ciechanowska was part of the first board of the housing coop (with

Władysława Habicht Władysława Habicht (1 June 1867 – 2 April 1963) was a Polish suffragette, social activist, and part of the housing cooperative movement. Biography She was born in Odporyszów to parents of German descent and attended a convent school in Stan ...

and Zofia Kołpy). In 1914 the house was ready, and Ciechanowska lived there with Władysława Habicht. Their relationship has been compared to

Boston marriage A "Boston marriage" was, historically, the cohabitation of two wealthy women, independent of financial support from a man. The term is said to have been in use in New England in the late 19th/early 20th century. Some of these relationships were ...

s and read in an LGBT context nowadays, though some, most notably the modern Władysława Habicht Postal Clerk Housing Cooperative, dispute this characterization. As a writer, she published a drama, ''Antrakt'' (lit. ''Entracte'') in 1928; a poetry anthology, ''Wiersze niemodne'' (lit. ''Unfashionable Poems'') in 1935; and ''Kilka prostych uwag o Wyspiańskim'' (''Few Simple Notes About Wyspiański'') in 1938. Ciechanowska died on 29 April 1948 in Kraków and was buried at

Rakowicki Cemetery Rakowicki Cemetery (English: ; pl, Cmentarz Rakowicki) is a historic necropolis and a cultural heritage monument located on 26 Rakowicka Street in the centre of Kraków, Poland. It lies within the Administrative District No. 1 ''Stare Miasto'' ...

References

External links

Elżbieta Ciechanowska works on Polona.pl
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ciechanowska, Elżbieta 1875 births 1948 deaths Polish suffragists 20th-century Polish women People from Bochnia Alumni of the Academy of Music in Kraków Polish LGBT poets People from Austria-Hungary