The Querelle des Servantes: Servants, Discourse, and Collective Memory in 18th-Century Eastern and Central Europe

• In Event: Evolving Social Norms and Public Life in Eastern and Central Europe from the 18th to 20th Century

Abstract

This paper investigates the construction of collective memories through maid discourse in 18th-century Saxony and the Habsburg Empire. I refer to this discourse as the "Querelle des servantes" (Quarrel of the Servants). It served as a platform for negotiating social norms, gender roles, and power dynamics. Ultimately, it shaped collective perceptions of femininity and social order through recurring narratives and stereotypes.
Stereotypes depicting maidservants as sexually immoral and unreliable were employed to address social anxieties and reinforce distinctions between the ruling and bourgeois classes. These portrayals entrenched these ideas in collective memory, legitimizing existing hierarchies.
The analysis highlights a process of gendering during this era, linking notions of femininity and sexuality to specific social roles. Over time, maidservants increasingly came to be viewed as societal challenges amid population growth and social change.
Ultimately, this paper demonstrates that collective memories are dynamic and influenced by power relations. The maid discourse was pivotal in negotiating and reinforcing social and gender norms, shaping dominant narratives that upheld prevailing inequalities.

Author

• Tim Rütten, U der Bundeswehr München (Germany)