Virginia Bolten (26 December 1870 – 1960) was an Argentine journalist as well as an anarchist and feminist activist of
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
** Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
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descent. A gifted orator, she is considered as a pioneer in the struggle for
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, ...
in Argentina. She was deported to
Uruguay
Uruguay (; ), officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay ( es, República Oriental del Uruguay), is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast; while bordering ...
in 1902, where she remained until her death.
Biography
Virginia Bolten, the daughter of a German emigrant, was born in 1870 in Argentina, either in San Luis or San Juan. She spent her childhood in San Juan, a province of Argentina and then moved out to Rosario when she was 14 years old. After reaching adulthood she worked as a shoemaker and a sugar factory worker. While working as a shoemaker she met Juan Marquez, an organiser of a shoe workers union, whom she later married. Instrumental in her introduction to anarchist circles was her acquaintance with
Pietro Gori
Pietro Gori (August 1, 1865–January 8, 1911) was an Italian lawyer, journalist, intellectual and anarchist poet. He is known for his political activities, and as author of some of the most famous anarchist songs of the late 19th century, i ...
. After a number of years of activity in the feminist, anarchist, and workers' movements, she was deported to
Uruguay
Uruguay (; ), officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay ( es, República Oriental del Uruguay), is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast; while bordering ...
under the Residence Law in 1902.
Activism
In 1888 Bolten became one of the publishers of ''The Working Baker of Rosario'' ( es, El Obrero Panadero de Rosario), one of the first anarchist newspapers in Argentina. In 1889 she organized the seamstresses' demonstration and consequent strike in Rosario, probably the first strike by female workers in Argentina.
In 1890 Virginia Bolten, Romulo Ovidi and Francisco Berri were the main organizers of the first
May Day
May Day is a European festival of ancient origins marking the beginning of summer, usually celebrated on 1 May, around halfway between the spring equinox and summer solstice. Festivities may also be held the night before, known as May Eve. Tr ...
demonstrations. The other editors of ''The Working Baker of Rosario'' had an equally important role in the organization of the demonstrations. On April 30, 1890 (the day before the demonstrations), she was detained and interrogated, by local police forces, for distributing leaflets outside the major factories of the area. During the May Day demonstrations she led a group of thousands of workers who were marching to Plaza Lopez, at the outskirt of Rosario at that time. Throughout the march she carried the red flag, on which was written "First Of May - Universal Fraternity - The workers of Rosario comply with the provisions of the International Workers Committee of Paris-" ( es, Primero de Mayo - Fraternidad Universal; Los trabajadores de Rosario cumplimos las disposiciones del Comité Obrero Internacional de París).
After she was deported to Uruguay, she carried on her militancy in Montevideo, capital city of Uruguay.
''La Voz de la Mujer''
Bolten is probably responsible for the publication of a newspaper called '' La Voz de la Mujer'' ( en, The Woman's Voice), which was published nine times in Rosario between 8 January 1896 and 1 January 1897, and was revived, briefly, in 1901. A similar paper with the same name was reportedly published later in Montevideo, which suggests that Bolten may also have founded it and served as its editor after her deportation.
''La Nueva Senda''
In Uruguay, Bolten continued her activism, publishing a newspaper called ''La Nueva Senda'' ( en, The New Path) from 1909 to 1910.
Other publications
She published many articles in anarchist-communist journals and newspapers, the most notable of which were ''La Protesta'' and ''La Protesta Humana''.
Legacy
Park
A park in
Puerto Madero
Puerto Madero, also known within the urban planning community as the Puerto Madero Waterfront, is a barrio of Buenos Aires in Argentina in the central business district, occupying a significant portion of the Río de la Plata riverbank and repres ...
, a district of
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South ...
, is named in her honor.
Film
In 2007 the government of the
San Luis Province
San Luis () is a province of Argentina located near the geographical center of the country (on the 32° South parallel). Neighboring provinces are, from the north clockwise, La Rioja, Córdoba, La Pampa, Mendoza and San Juan.
History
The cit ...
in Argentina decided to fund a film honoring Virginia Bolten. The film focuses mainly on Bolten's life,
anarchist feminism
Anarchism is a political philosophy and movement that is skeptical of all justifications for authority and seeks to abolish the institutions it claims maintain unnecessary coercion and hierarchy, typically including, though not necessari ...
and the social conditions, which led to the publication of ''La Voz de la Mujer''. It is titled ''No god, No master, no husband'' ( es, Ni dios, ni patrón, ni marido) after one of the newspaper's mottos and Virginia Bolten is played by
Julieta Díaz
Julieta Solange Díaz Núñez (born September 9, 1977) is an Argentine model and actress.Julieta Díaz at the
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries
**Spanish cuisine
Other places
* Spanish, Ontario, Can ...
director
Laura Mañá
Laura Mañá Alvarenga (born 12 January 1968) is an actress, film director and screenwriter. She was born in Barcelona. As an actress, she has worked for directors such as Bigas Luna or Vicente Aranda. In 1997 she directed ''Paraules'', her first ...