Anita Augspurg
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Anita Theodora Johanna Sophie Augspurg (22 September 1857 – 20 December 1943) was a
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 ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...
jurist A jurist is a person with expert knowledge of law; someone who analyses and comments on law. This person is usually a specialist legal scholar, mostly (but not always) with a formal qualification in law and often a legal practitioner. In the Uni ...
, actress, writer, activist of the radical
feminist movement The feminist movement (also known as the women's movement, or feminism) refers to a series of social movements and political campaigns for Radical politics, radical and Liberalism, liberal reforms on women's issues created by the inequality b ...
and a
pacifist Pacifism is the opposition or resistance to war, militarism (including conscription and mandatory military service) or violence. Pacifists generally reject theories of Just War. The word ''pacifism'' was coined by the French peace campaign ...
.


Biography

Augspurg was born the youngest daughter of the lawyer Wilhelm Augsburg. She attended a private women's school between 1864 and 1873, then started work in her father's Verden law practice, where she worked until she reached the
age of majority The age of majority is the threshold of legal adulthood as recognized or declared in law. It is the moment when minors cease to be considered such and assume legal control over their persons, actions, and decisions, thus terminating the contr ...
. Augspurg passed the Prussian state test for teachers at a Höhere Mädchenschule in 1879 (after taking a private course in Berlin). Soon afterwards she completed a similar test that allowed her to work as a gym teacher. At the same time, she took acting classes from
Minona Frieb-Blumauer Minona Frieb-Blumauer (11 May 1816 – 31 July 1886) was a German actress and singer. Life Born in Stuttgart, Minona (''actually Johanna'') Frieb-Blumauer was the daughter of the actor Karl Blumauer, with whom she received her first lessons. ...
. From 1881-82 she was an apprentice to the
Meiningen Ensemble The Meiningen Ensemble, also known as the Meiningen Company, was the court theatre of the German state of Saxe-Meiningen, led by George II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen. Its principal director was Ludwig Chronegk. The Ensemble was a great influence on Ibs ...
and took part in concert tours across Germany, the Netherlands, and Lithuania. Starting 1884, she worked as a permanent member at the
Landestheater Altenburg The Landestheater Altenburg is a multi-partstheatre in Altenburg and part of the . The venues used are the Großes Haus with 500 seats as well as the ''Heizhaus'' and the ''Theater unterm Dach''. The general director and managing director sinc ...
(today in Thuringia, Germany) specifically at the Ducal Court Theater. 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 ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the States of Germany, German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the List of cities in Germany by popu ...
, where in 1887 they jointly opened a photography 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 that unusual lifestyle, Augspurg was exposed to personal attacks by anti-feminists far more than were other personalities of the women's movement. Nonetheless, her contacts made through the stage and the studio quickly made her well-known, and she eventually had the
Bavaria Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total lan ...
n royal family as a customer. By 1890 Augspurg was deeply involved in the German women's movement and practised as a public speaker. Her commitment to women's rights led her to decide, after several years of successful work, to study for a law degree. She went to the
University of Zurich The University of Zürich (UZH, german: Universität Zürich) is a public research university located in the city of Zürich, Switzerland. It is the largest university in Switzerland, with its 28,000 enrolled students. It was founded in 1833 f ...
, Switzerland, because women in Germany still did not have equal access to universities. Alongside
Rosa Luxemburg Rosa Luxemburg (; ; pl, Róża Luksemburg or ; 5 March 1871 – 15 January 1919) was a Polish and naturalised-German revolutionary socialist, Marxist philosopher and anti-war activist. Successively, she was a member of the Proletariat party, ...
, with whom she had a turbulent relationship, she was one of the founders of the
International Female Students Association International is an adjective (also used as a noun) meaning "between nations". International may also refer to: Music Albums * ''International'' (Kevin Michael album), 2011 * ''International'' (New Order album), 2002 * ''International'' (The T ...
(''Internationaler Studentinnenverein''). She completed her studies with a doctorate in 1897, the first doctor of law of the
German Empire The German Empire (),Herbert Tuttle wrote in September 1881 that the term "Reich" does not literally connote an empire as has been commonly assumed by English-speaking people. The term literally denotes an empire – particularly a hereditary ...
. Meanwhile, in 1895 Augspurg had begun to collaborate with the newspaper ''Die Frauenbewegung'' ("The Women's Movement"), writing articles denouncing the discrimination to which she was subjected in social legislation, describing in particular marriage as a form of legalised prostitution. 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 (15 March 1868 – 31 July 1943) was a German feminist, pacifist and women's rights activist. Together with her partner Anita Augspurg she was one of the most prominent figures in the bourgeois women's movement. She wa ...
, 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 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 ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...
: she brought together her political friends,
Minna Cauer Wilhelmine Theodore Marie Cauer, née Schelle, usually known as Minna Cauer (1 November 1841 in Freyenstein – 3 August 1922 in Berlin) was a German pedagogue, activist in the so-called "radical" wing of the German bourgeois feminist movement ...
and
Marie Raschke Marie Alwine Ottilie Raschke (29 January 1850 in Gaffert, Stolp County – 15 March 1935 in Berlin) was one of the leading lawyers in the German women's movement and also one of the first German women lawyers Women in law describes the role ...
, producing petitions on the new marriage and family law, which was only partially effective. Augspurg published a sensational "Open Letter" in 1905, in which she appealed for change to the then prevailing
patriarchal Patriarchy is a social system in which positions of Dominance hierarchy, dominance and Social privilege, privilege are primarily held by men. It is used, both as a technical Anthropology, anthropological term for families or clans controll ...
marriage law to enable entry into "free marriage", in defiance of state-approved marriage. This was interpreted as a call to boycott marriage and brought a storm of indignation. During this time, following the radical split from the conservative women's organisations, many women considered radical
women's suffrage Women's suffrage is the right of women to vote in elections. Beginning in the start of the 18th century, some people sought to change voting laws to allow women to vote. Liberal political parties would go on to grant women the right to vot ...
as a priority. Augspurg and her partner Lida Gustava Heymann worked together on the board of the
Association of Progressive Women's Organizations Association may refer to: *Club (organization), an association of two or more people united by a common interest or goal *Trade association, an organization founded and funded by businesses that operate in a specific industry *Voluntary associatio ...
. They formed an association for women's suffrage in
Hamburg (male), (female) en, Hamburger(s), Hamburgian(s) , timezone1 = Central (CET) , utc_offset1 = +1 , timezone1_DST = Central (CEST) , utc_offset1_DST = +2 , postal ...
(1902) and in
Bavaria Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total lan ...
(1913). From 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. During the First World War Augspurg and Heymann held illegal gatherings in their Munich apartment. They participated in the
International Congress of Women The International Congress of Women was created so that groups of existing women's suffrage movements could come together with other women's groups around the world. It served as a way for women organizations across the nation to establish formal m ...
in
The Hague The Hague ( ; nl, Den Haag or ) is a city and municipality of the Netherlands, situated on the west coast facing the North Sea. The Hague is the country's administrative centre and its seat of government, and while the official capital of ...
, Netherlands, in April 1915, which led to the founding in 1919 of the
Women's International League for Peace and Freedom The Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) is a non-profit non-governmental organization working "to bring together women of different political views and philosophical and religious backgrounds determined to study and make kno ...
(IFFF), of which Heymann was Vice President. They found a common anti-war ground with the Independent Social Democrats, which had split off from 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 ...
. In this context, their former differences with Socialist women such as
Clara Zetkin Clara Zetkin (; ; ''née'' Eißner ; 5 July 1857 – 20 June 1933) was a German Marxist theorist, communist activist, and advocate for women's rights. Until 1917, she was active in the Social Democratic Party of Germany. She then joined the ...
became less important. Augspurg collaborated with
Kurt Eisner Kurt Eisner (; 14 May 1867 21 February 1919)"Kurt Eisner – Encyclopædia Britannica" (biography), ''Encyclopædia Britannica'', 2006, Britannica.com webpageBritannica-KurtEisner. was a German politician, revolutionary, journalist, and theatre c ...
, and after the proclamation of the
Weimar Republic The Weimar Republic (german: link=no, Weimarer Republik ), officially named the German Reich, was the government of Germany from 1918 to 1933, during which it was a constitutional federal republic for the first time in history; hence it is al ...
in 1918, became a member of the provisional
Landtag of Bavaria The Landtag of Bavaria, officially known in English as the Bavarian State Parliament, is the unicameral legislature of the German state of Bavaria. The parliament meets in the Maximilianeum in Munich. Elections to the Landtag are held every f ...
. In following elections they soon ran on the list of Independent Social Democrats, but gained no mandate. Until 1922 a JD did not enable women to practise law in Germany, but new equality legislation under the
Weimar Constitution The Constitution of the German Reich (german: Die Verfassung des Deutschen Reichs), usually known as the Weimar Constitution (''Weimarer Verfassung''), was the constitution that governed Germany during the Weimar Republic era (1919–1933). The c ...
finally allowed Augspurg to practise. Since other women had obtained a JD before her, especially in
Zürich Zürich () is the list of cities in Switzerland, largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zürich. It is located in north-central Switzerland, at the northwestern tip of Lake Zürich. As of January 2020, the municipality has 43 ...
,
Freiburg Freiburg im Breisgau (; abbreviated as Freiburg i. Br. or Freiburg i. B.; Low Alemannic: ''Friburg im Brisgau''), commonly referred to as Freiburg, is an independent city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. With a population of about 230,000 (as o ...
, Munich, or
Leipzig Leipzig ( , ; Upper Saxon: ) is the most populous city in the German state of Saxony. Leipzig's population of 605,407 inhabitants (1.1 million in the larger urban zone) as of 2021 places the city as Germany's eighth most populous, as wel ...
( Johanna von Evreinov), references to her as Germany's first woman lawyer are erroneous. Opposed to war, she proposed forms of active boycott. In addition to supporting the policy of ending capitalism and organising a
matriarchy Matriarchy is a social system in which women hold the primary power positions in roles of authority. In a broader sense it can also extend to moral authority, social privilege and control of property. While those definitions apply in general E ...
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
colonialism Colonialism is a practice or policy of control by one people or power over other people or areas, often by establishing colonies and generally with the aim of economic dominance. In the process of colonisation, colonisers may impose their relig ...
. She was opposed to
antisemitism Antisemitism (also spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism) is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who holds such positions is called an antisemite. Antisemitism is considered to be a form of racism. Antis ...
and the nascent
Nazism Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Na ...
. Heymann and Anita Augspurg were Two major leaders of the German women's movement, during the first 30 years of the 20th century, who combined their feminism with pacifism, insisting that the nations of Europe would be spared future wars only when women had the right to vote. https://www.encyclopedia.com/women/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/heymann-lida-and-anita-augspurg In 1933, due to the takeover of the Nazi Party, Augspurg and Heymann did not return to Germany from a winter trip; they feared reprisals. A crucial factor was that she and Heymann had in 1923 appealed to the Bavarian Interior Minister for expulsion of the
Austrian Austrian may refer to: * Austrians, someone from Austria or of Austrian descent ** Someone who is considered an Austrian citizen, see Austrian nationality law * Austrian German dialect * Something associated with the country Austria, for example: ...
Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...
, on grounds of
sedition Sedition is overt conduct, such as speech and organization, that tends toward rebellion against the established order. Sedition often includes subversion of a constitution and incitement of discontent toward, or insurrection against, estab ...
. The Nazis in power did indeed confiscate their property, and all written material in their home was lost. She went to live in exile in Switzerland, together with Heymann. They went on to deeper exile in
South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the southe ...
, but later returned to Europe to settle in Zürich. There Augspurg died in 1943, a few months after her partner. Like Heymann, she is buried in the
Fluntern Cemetery Also known as Friedhof Fluntern, the Fluntern Cemetery is located in the Zürichberg district of Zürich. Notable interments * Emil Abderhalden (1877–1950), Swiss biochemist and physiologist * Johann Ludwig Aberli (1723–1786), Swiss artist * ...
in Zürich, Switzerland.


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 ...
*
List of peace activists This list of peace activists includes people who have proactively advocated diplomatic, philosophical, and non-military resolution of major territorial or ideological disputes through nonviolent means and methods. Peace activists usually work ...
*
Lida Gustava Heymann Lida Gustava Heymann (15 March 1868 – 31 July 1943) was a German feminist, pacifist and women's rights activist. Together with her partner Anita Augspurg she was one of the most prominent figures in the bourgeois women's movement. She wa ...
*
Lily Braun Lily Braun (2 July 1865 – 8 August 1916), born Amalie von Kretschmann, was a German feminist writer and politician of the Social Democratic Party (SPD). Life She was born in Halberstadt, in the Prussian province of Saxony, the daught ...
*
Marianne Weber Marianne Weber (born Marianne Schnitger; 2 August 1870 – 12 March 1954) was a German sociologist, women's rights activist and the wife of Max Weber. Life Childhood, 1870–1893 Marianne Schnitger was born on 2 August 1870 in Oerlinghausen ...


References


Publications

* Lida Gustava Heymann, Anita Augspurg, ''Erlebtes, Erschautes. Deutsche Frauen kämpfen für Freiheit, Recht und Frieden'', Hellmann, Frankfurt/M. 1992 * ''Ueber die Entstehung und Praxis der Volksvertretung in England.'' Knorr & Hirth, München 1898, zugleich: Dissertation, Zürich 1898


Bibliography

* Ute Gerhard, "Anita Augspurg (1857–1943): Juristin, Feministin, Pazifistin", in ''«Streitbaren Juristen»'', ed. Thomas Blancke, Baden Baden, Nomos Verlagsgeselschaft 1990 * Christiane Berneike: ''Die Frauenfrage ist Rechtsfrage. Die Juristinnen der deutschen Frauenbewegung und das Bürgerliche Gesetzbuch'', Nomos VG, Baden-Baden 1995, pp. 44–66 * Arne Duncker: ''Gleichheit und Ungleichheit in der Ehe. Persönliche Stellung von Frau und Mann im Recht der ehelichen Lebensgemeinschaft 1700–1914'', Böhlau, Köln 2003 * Christiane Henke: ''Anita Augspurg'', Rowohlt, Reinbek 2000 * Susanne Kinnebrock: ''Anita Augspurg (1857–1943). Feministin und Pazifistin zwischen Journalismus und Politik. Eine kommunikationshistorische Biographie'', Centaurus, Herbolzheim 2005 * Rezension zu obiger Dissertation: Neiseke, Eric: "Über die 'Öffentlichkeitsarbeiterin' Anita Augspurg". In: ''Querelles-Net.'
Nummer 18 / März 2006
* Sonja Mosick: ''Anita Augspurg – Idealistin oder Realistin? Eine Analyse ihrer publizistischen Tätigkeit unter besonderer Berücksichtigung ihrer Sicht auf die Frauenfrage'' Universität Diplomarbeit, Hildesheim 1999 * Hiltrud Schroeder: "Übermächtig war das Gefühl, daß wir vereint sein müssen". Anita Ausgspurg (1857–1943) und Lida Gustava Heymann (1868–1943)". In: Luise F. Pusch und Joey Horsley (eds.): ''Berühmte Frauenpaare''. Suhrkamp, Frankfurt/Main 2005, pp. 96–136.


External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Augspurg, Anita 1857 births 1943 deaths 19th-century German actresses 20th-century German lawyers 20th-century women lawyers German anti-capitalists German expatriates in Switzerland German pacifists German stage actresses German lesbian actresses German suffragists German women lawyers German women writers Lesbian feminists LGBT actors from Germany LGBT writers from Germany Pacifist feminists German socialist feminists University of Zurich alumni Burials at Fluntern Cemetery