Marianne Adelaide Hedwig Dohm known as Hedwig Dohm was a writer and activist for women’s rights. She was known as one of the first feminist theorists to argue that gender-specific behavior is learned through social conditioning rather than determined by biology.
Hedwig was born on September 20, 1831, to the tobacco manufacturer Gustav Adolph Gotthold Schlesinger, and her mother was Wilhelmine Henriette Jülich. She died on June 1, 1919
She had 18 siblings and had a keen interest in reading and going to school, but was forced to leave school at the age of 15 to help with the household chores.
But she had high hopes for continuing her studies and convinced her parents to enroll her in a women’s teacher training college.
Google Doodle mentions: “Dohm was born in Berlin, Germany, on this day in 1831 in a family of eighteen children. Dohm loved to read from an early age and found school exciting. However, her parents forced her to leave formal education at the age of fifteen and help around the house.”
“Hopeful to continue her studies, Dohm convinced her parents to let her attend the Lehrerinnenseminar, a women’s teacher training college,” is added.
In 1853, Hedwig Dohm married Ernst Dohm, editor-in-chief of the weekly satirical magazine Kladderadatsch. They had five children, four of whom were girls. Hedwig continued to educate her daughters throughout their early years.
Source: Google Doodle
What were Hedwig Dohm’s contributions?
Google is celebrating Dohma’s 192nd birthday because she was a revolutionary feminist and author who made a significant contribution to the fight for women’s rights. Her work is still relevant and inspiring for women today.
When Hedwig’s children were grown, she decided to continue her career as a writer in 1870. She published many powerful works according to Google Doodle.
What the Clergy Think of Women (Was die Pastoren von den Frauen denken) and Antifeminists (Die Antifeministen) are two works by Hedwig Dohm that focus on conservative views on women’s rights in Germany at the time.
What Clergy Thinks About Women focuses on the writings of two conservative pastors who argue that higher education is a threat to women. Dohm criticizes their arguments, pointing out that they are based on outdated stereotypes.
Anti-feminists focused on people who opposed women’s rights in Germany at the time. Dohm satirizes their views, showing how illogical and harmful they are.
In addition to these contents, Hedwig made some great contributions:
- She was a strong advocate of women’s right to education and employment.
- Her work had a significant impact on the early German feminist movement.
- She was one of the few activists who fought for women’s suffrage.
- She wrote various books such as Sibilla Dalmar, Schicksale Einer Seele and Christa Rolan.
- Hedwig Dohm was also the founder of the Deutsche Frauenverein Reform, which advocated the right of women to study all subjects at universities. In 1888, she wrote the first chapters of the movement’s manifesto.
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Source: vcmp.edu.vn