Did Baltic German women think about free love?

• In Event: Baltic Women's Stories / Women's Roles and Agency in Baltic Societies

Abstract

The last two decades of the 19th century and first fourteen years of 20th century, up to the beginning of World War I were full of changes and turmoil for the Baltic Governorates and the people living there, especially Baltic Germans. Until that time, their superiority and traditional way of life had remained quite the same for centuries. Now politics was forcing them to make changes and second-guess even the loyalty of their servants. Common perception of Baltic Germans during that even though everything around them was changing, their greatest values and ideas of honor and family remained the same.
During this time, local newspaper in Riga, biggest city in the governorates, Düna Zeitung, dedicated a section called “Von Frauen für Frauen” to women’s topics, news and discussions about ideas of western feminists. In 1909 it introduced Dr. Phil. Helene Stöcker, German feminist, who gave a lecture in Riga about the rights and protection of mothers and of the ethics of new, free love without marriage. German women’s rights’ activist Marie Eggers-Smidt wrote about her fight against trafficking of women and girls. This means there had to be readers and interested people among local Baltic Germans. In 1914 Helene Pilar von Pilchau, a Baltic German woman from and old noble family, held a public speech about spreading venereal diseases, normalization of sexual relations outside of marriage and popularity of prostitution. In my paper, I question if Baltic German women were indifferent to women movements or has their activism been overlooked and forgotten.

Short Bio

I am a doctoral student in history in Tallinn University, Estonia. Previously I did both my MA and BA in history in University of Tartu. I have also worked as an archivist in the National Museum of Estonia. My field of research is Baltic German women’s history during 19th century and early 20th century. I have also studied in University College London and Freie Universität Berlin during my exchange semesters, which greatly influenced my interest in gender studies and gender history.

Author

• Lembi Anepaio, Tallinn University