In my dissertation I will analyse the work of Marianne Hainisch in the first Austrian women’s movement from a personal perspective (based on her diaries) and from a public perspective (based on publications of Marianne Hainisch and newspapers and magazines published by women organisations of her time).
Marianne Hainisch was born on the 25th of March 1839. She was the first child of Josef and Maria Perger. 1857 she married Michael Hainisch, with whom she had two children, Michael and Maria. She died on the 5th of June 1936. Marianne Hainisch delivered her first public speech „The question of woman instruction“ in 1870 at the general assembly of the Wiener Frauen Erwerb Verein (Viennese Women Purchasing Association). In 1901 Marianne Hainisch founded the Bund Österreichischer Frauenvereine (Federation of Austrian Women Associations). From 1904 to 1918 she chaired the International Council of Women. The core demand of Marianne Hainisch was the expansion of the educational facilities for women like the establishment of girls’ colleges or the opening of universities for women.
The central question of my dissertation is, which changes of the social standards and/or laws were advanced and which were denied by Marianne Hainisch during her active time in the Austrian women’s movement.
In my dissertation I will link the demands and themes of the first Austrian women’s movement with the life of Marianne Hainisch. I will elaborate the public statements of Marianne Hainisch to demands and themes of the women’s movement on the one hand and her private raesons and considerations on the other hand. With this approach I want to bring out, which changes of the social standards and/or laws were advanced and which were denied by Marianne Hainisch and in a second step, which raesons and considerations were the background of her point of view.
Until now the diaries of Marianne Hainisch have never been used as a scientific source, which explaines the relevance of the topic „Marianne Hainisch public and private“. The diaries allow to work out a new dimension in the personality and in the work of Marianne Hainisch.
The main sources for the dissertation are publications of Marianne Hainisch, correspondences of Marianne Hainisch, magazine „Der Bund“, newspapers and magazines of other women’s organisations, diaries of Marianne Hainisch (in family property) and the life memories of Marianne Hainisch ( in family property).