Maria Tusch (1 December 1868 – 25 July 1939) was an Austrian trade unionist and politician. In 1919 she was one of eight women elected to the Constituent Assembly, becoming the country's first female parliamentarians. She remained in parliament until 1934, when she was arrested and imprisoned following the

Austrian Civil War The Austrian Civil War (german: Österreichischer Bürgerkrieg), also known as the February Uprising (german: Februarkämpfe), was a few days of skirmishes between Austrian government and socialist forces between 12 and 16 February 1934, in Aust ...

Biography

Tusch was born Maria Pirtsch in Klagenfurt in 1868, the daughter of an unmarried maid. At the age of 12 she began working in a tobacco factory, where she became involved in trade unionism, eventually becoming a shop steward and then a member of the works council. This led her to enter politics and she rose to become chair of the women's committee of the Carinthia branch of the

Social Democratic Party The name Social Democratic Party or Social Democrats has been used by many political parties in various countries around the world. Such parties are most commonly aligned to social democracy as their political ideology. Active parties For ...

(SdP). She also sat on the municipal committee of Sankt Ruprecht, a suburb of Klagenfurt,Maria Tusch
Parliament of Austria She married Anton Tusch, a railway worker and fellow SdP member. The couple adopted a daughter.Maria Tusch Preis
Klagenfurt City Council Tusch was a SdP candidate in the 1919 Constituent Assembly elections and was one of eight women elected, becoming Austria's first female parliamentarians.Erste Parlamentarierinnen in der Konstituierenden Nationalversammlung
Democracy Centre She was re-elected in

1920 Events January * January 1 ** Polish–Soviet War in 1920: The Russian Red Army increases its troops along the Polish border from 4 divisions to 20. ** Kauniainen, completely surrounded by the city of Espoo, secedes from Espoo as its own ma ...

1923 Events January–February * January 9 – Lithuania begins the Klaipėda Revolt to annex the Klaipėda Region (Memel Territory). * January 11 – Despite strong British protests, troops from France and Belgium occupy the Ruhr area, t ...

1927 Events January * January 1 – The British Broadcasting ''Company'' becomes the British Broadcasting ''Corporation'', when its Royal Charter of incorporation takes effect. John Reith becomes the first Director-General. * January 7 * ...

and

1930 Events January * January 15 – The Moon moves into its nearest point to Earth, called perigee, at the same time as its fullest phase of the Lunar Cycle. This is the closest moon distance at in recent history, and the next one will be ...

. During her time in parliament she focused on women's rights, World War I veterans and abortion rights. She died of pneumonia in 1939.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tusch, Maria 1868 births 1939 deaths Politicians from Klagenfurt People from the Duchy of Carinthia Social Democratic Party of Austria politicians Members of the Constituent National Assembly (Austria) Members of the National Council (Austria) Austrian trade unionists 20th-century Austrian women politicians People from Austria-Hungary