ESHS/HSS Annual Meeting

Self(re)presentations of Women Scholars in the late 1920s – Two special Examples

• In Event: Self(re)presentation of a European Scholar Across Political Regimes 3

English Abstract

In 1928 and in 1930, shortly before the beginning of the NS regime in Germany, two books were published under the very self-confident title "Leading Women of Europe" (Führende Frauen Europas). The female authors were writers, actors, lawyers, politicians, and women scholars. And they came from different countries – from Norway to Turkey, representing mostly all European countries. The editor who brought together all these women was the German author and journalist Elga Kern (1888–1957), well-known in the 1920s and later forgotten.
All in all, 16 and 25 female authors described their education, their profession, and their aims and dreams. The style of these autobiographical sketches and self-reflections was as different as these authors were. These articles are today historical documents and primary sources as well as examples of the self(re)presentation of women shortly before the deep break do to the Nazi regime.
In my talk, first, I'm giving an overview of these two volumes, an analysis of these women authors, their profession and their countries. Second, I'm analysing in detail the articles, written by the women scientists and women scholars respectively (all in all 9 of 41). They were working in different scientific disciplines, employed in various academic institutions, and they were acknowledged quiet differently among their male colleagues. The different styles of these autobiographical self(re)presentations will be discussed too. Third, while these books in 1928 and in 1930 were a kind of "snapshot" of the activities of these women authors, their life and fate after the publications will be outlined.

Author

• Annette B. Vogt, Humboldt University of Berlin, Germany