IDEOLOGY AND SOCIAL PRACTICE OF THE WOMEN’S MOVEMENT IN THE GERMAN EMPIRE

Abstract

The article analyzes the formation and development of the women’s movement in the German Empire. Attention was drawn to the fact that this issue was almost never investigated in Ukrainian historical science. The conditions that contributed to the appearance of the initially scattered, and later more organized struggle of German women for emancipation are characterized. The factors that influenced the formation of the women’s movement in the German Empire are singled out, namely: the unification of German lands into a single state, which contributed to the consolidation of imperial legislation and a certain coordination of the activities of women’s organizations; industrialization of the country, and as a result, the gradual destruction of the patriarchal system, an increase of the number of working women, a change of their status in society; the influence of British and North American feminism on the struggle of German women for their rights. It is noted that the formation of the women’s movement in German lands took place at the beginning of the “long” XIX century. Its representatives, mostly educated intellectuals from wealthy families, spread their views in literary works, women’s magazines and newspapers, created organizations that took care of various aspects of women’s existence. Instead, the structuring of the women’s movement, the formation of its ideological foundations and the establishment of social practices were most fully manifested in the imperial period, particularly the Wilhelmine era. The areas of activity of women’s organizations are revealed: protection of German women’s property interests, health and maternity protection, granting of the right to obtain higher education, improvement of working conditions for female workers, struggle for suffrage. It is shown that a single ideology in the German women’s movement was not formed. There emerged several trends that were connected with religious, public organizations and political parties. At the same time, alongside with supporters of women’s emancipation, there remained a large layer of German women who adhered to traditional patriarchal views. Attention is drawn to the struggle of the suffragettes, who believed that giving women the right to vote would help free them from other forms of discrimination. The heterogeneity and diametrically opposite positions of many suffragettes were noted. The results of women’s struggle for emancipation are defined: the adoption of imperial laws on the protection of female workers; expansion of women’s property rights; obtaining the right to study at the country’s universities, participate in the activities of political parties and public organizations, etc. It was noted that the previously existing stereotypes regarding the place of women in society have changed.