Wien, 18. Bezirk, Art of Facades of Vienna, Schule der Stadt Wien (Cottagegasse/Haizingergasse), Gymnasium und wirtschaftskundliches Realgymnasium (mit Medienschwerpunkt)

Access to education

The debate about educational opportunities was a key issue in the fight for equal rights and self-determination for the women's movement.

Prejudices against women's education, there were enough, girls would be too superficial, small-minded and frivolous, the wish of women to study was of "hysterical nature", the brain of a woman is unsuitable for studying, educated women would turn into "mannish woman".

With the introduction of universal compulsory education by Maria Theresa in 1774 education was indeed no longer reserved for the upper classes: From there on, all children attended a six-year elementary school. Though, the education of girls was limited to a large extent on handicrafts. Advanced schools remained closed to them.

And so the women's movement from the late 19th century in addition to many initiatives to facilitate professional training also was concerned with the access to higher education.

In 1892, the Association for Advanced women's education founded the first girls' grammar school. And from 1910 on girls also could attend boys secondary schools. However, only up to a ratio of 5%, and there they were not allowed to be examinated nor could they participate actively in the lessons.

1897, women were admitted at the Faculty of Arts for a course of study, 1900 at the Medical Faculty. The other faculties followed slowly.

In the First Republic, the crucial education reform by Otto Glöckl involving Eugenie Schwarzwald and Stefanie Nauheim was implemented: Every child should independently of gender and social position obtain an optimal education. From then on, girls were admitted at public schools without percentage limitation. 1921 also the high school Haizingergasse was founded as a "Secondary School for Girls".

Fascism and National Socialism reduced educational opportunities for girls dramatically: There was again gender-specific curricula and a restriction of access to universities for women. Jewish children were excluded from school.

After the Second World War, the educational campaign of the 1970s brought the great progress: the same curricula and opening of all types of schools for both sexes, free textbooks and students free ride, abolition of tuition fees and democratization of the universities. Especially for girls thus improved access to secondary and higher education.

Today, the proportion of women at school leaving examinations and university degrees is almost 60%. When it comes to doctoral degrees, men still take the lead. Choice of subjects and studies still follows traditional roles: in the technology and engineering sciences is only one in five people female, in the social and health sciences there is, on the other hand, among five graduates only one man.

 

Gabriele Possanner of Ehrenthal studied from 1888 in Zurich medicine; in Austria, at that time women this was not allowed. After degree, she fought stubbornly to be allowed to practice in Vienna too - with numerous requests addressed to Minister of the Interior, Minister of Education, Rectors and, in a final step, to the Emperor personally. In 1897 she was, after she had to pass at the University of Vienna all the examinations again, as first woman in Austria gratuated to doctor of medicine.

 

Stella Klein-Löw (1904-1986)

Pedagogue

Stella Klein-Löw grew up in a wealthy Jewish family. She was very early member of the Socialist Workers' Youth and the Social Democratic Party. After graduation, she taught at several schools in Vienna, at last at a Jewish school. In 1939, she was forced to emigrate, many of her family members were murdered by the Nazis. After her return she lived in Waehring - first in the Erndtgasse, then in the Pauline alley. She worked again as a teacher and later director of a secondary school. She was involved in the establishment of the post-war Social Democratic Party and 1959-1970 as a member of parliament she shaped the education policy of her party.

 

Gertrude Fröhlich-Sandner (1926-2008)

Teacher, politician

Gertrude Fröhlich-Sandner learned as the daughter of a welfare councillor very early the hardships of the needy. Besides her work as a teacher, she became involved with the children friends (Kinderfreunde) of the SPÖ. In 1959 she became municipal councillor of Vienna, later city councillor for culture, education and sport and 1969 first vice-mayor. "Talking to each other" was their motto - even when dealing with 1968 and squatters scene. She founded the "Street Worker", created social therapeutic residential communities and reformed the urban homes. 1984-1987 she was Federal Minister for Family, Youth and Consumer Protection. She lived in Waehring.

 

Marianne Hainisch (© Vienna City Library)

Marianne Hainisch (1839-1936)

Feminist

Marianne Hainisch was a pioneer of the civil women's movement in Austria. To improve the educational and employment opportunities for women, she demanded in 1870 the establishment of girls high schools and the admission of women to higher education. In 1902, she founded the Federation of Austrian Women's Associations, 1906, she was in the fight for women's suffrage one of the initiators of the Women's Suffrage Committee. She published writings such as "The question of bread of women", "The question of education of women", "A Mother word on the question of women." 1924 on her initiative, the Mother's Day in Austria was introduced.

 

Therese Schlesinger (VGA / AZ Photo Archive)

Therese Schlesinger (1863-1940)

Feminist

As a woman not entitled to study, Therese Schlesinger formed herself in self-study. First she was committed in the women's movement, then she got to know at the "Enquete on the situation of Viennese workers - the female ones' Adelheid Popp and Anna Boschek and became a member of the Social Democratic Party. She demanded the admission of women to study, improvement of occupational safety and above all the right to vote. 1919-1923 she was one of the first women in the National Council. She wrote in the workers' newspaper and published the "Handbook of women's work in Austria". In 1939, she was forced to emigrate and died in exile.

 

Maria Schwarz (1852-1920)

Feminist

Maria Schwarz devoted her life to the progressive evolution of the school system. From 1876-1920 she was president of the association for teachers and educators and fought, for example, for the equality of payment of female teachers with their male colleagues, or the appointment of women to head teachers. In 1895 she became the first headmistress of a citizens school. She also fought for women's suffrage and was co-founder of the in 1906 established Women's Suffrage Committee.

www.waehringerfrauenweg.at/themen/bildungszugang/

 

Haizingergasse (Waehring), 1894 named after the German actress Amalie Haizinger (1800-1884); she came in 1846 to Vienna to the Burgtheater, where she worked until her death in 1884 with great acclaim, amongst other things, in the typecasting of the "funny old lady". The alley was called before Ferstelgasse, after the Ringstrasse architect Heinrich von Ferstel, who was also one of the founders of the Vienna Cottage Association. At number 37 is now the high school Haizingergasse, which had been founded in 1921 as "middle school for girls".

 

Haizingergasse (Währing), 1894 benannt nach der deutschen Schauspielerin Amalie Haizinger (1800–1884); sie kam 1846 nach Wien ans Burgtheater, wo sie bis zu ihrem Tod 1884 mit großem Beifall unter anderem im Rollenfach der „komischen Alten“ wirkte. Die Gasse hieß davor Ferstelgasse, nach dem Ringstraßenarchitekten Heinrich von Ferstel, der auch einer der Gründer des Wiener Cottagevereins war. Auf Nummer 37 befindet sich heute das Gymnasium Haizingergasse, das 1921 als „Mittelschule für Mädchen“ gegründet worden war.

de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liste_der_Stra%C3%9Fennamen_von_Wie...

Done