Ink and Influence: Women as Guardians of Memory in 19th-Century Serbian Communities

• In Event: In the Margins of Memory: Gender and Historical Narratives in Central and Eastern Europe

Abstract

This paper examines the concept of Serbian women as "silent scribes," individuals whose written work preserved cultural and familial narratives without public recognition. Through an analysis of archival materials and historical accounts, this study argues that Serbian women were not passive recorders but active participants in shaping collective memory. By centering women such as Milica Stojadinović-Srpkinja, Wilhemina ‘Mina’ Karadžić, and Jelena Nestorović as agents of preservation, this paper contributes to the broader discourse on gender, memory, and the role of informal historical actors in nation-building.

Author

• Dragana Zivkovic, Florida State U