Elisabeth Bonnes (Bouness), best known under her pen name Ruth Bré (1862 – 7 December 1911 in Herischdorf, today Jelenia Góra), was a German advocate for matrilineality and women's rights, a writer, journalist, playwright and radical critic of patriarchy. Bré was the founder of the Bund für Mutterschutz,[1] an organization that aimed to improve women's standing in law, economics, and society.
Ruth Bré was born out of wedlock. The names of her parents were kept a secret. She had at least one brother.[2] Bré worked as a teacher, engaged in public debates on children's education, and wrote plays that were publicly performed.
The name Ruth Bré was a pseudonym. The word Bré is thought to be the initial letters of the last name Elisabeth-Rothmund-Bonnes, in reverse.[3] Rothmund was the name of her biological mother. She published her earliest writings under the pseudonym Elisabeth Bouness (alternate spelling Bouneß), and her writings on the women's movement under the pseudonym Ruth Bré.
Bré's grave, on the Cavalier-Berg in Herischdorf (today Jelenia Góra), no longer exists.[4]
Advocate for women's and mothers' rightsedit
Following her early retirement[5] she became active in the women's movement in Germany, of which she belonged to the radical wing. From this point on she wrote treatises on the rights of mothers, a novel and articles, and tried her hand as the editor of a newspaper. She impressed her listeners with, among other qualities, her fiery rhetoric.[6]
Ruth Bré devoted her life to improving the situation of single mothers and their children. In her writings she criticized the conditions of motherhood in patriarchal society and urged: "Women, give birth not to others...but to yourselves! […] The woman can exist without the state, but not the state without the woman."[7] Among other causes, Bré fought against the firing of married female civil servants (the so-called Lehrerinnenzölibat, prescribed celibacy for female teachers) and for freely chosen motherhood. In Bré's view, motherhood was not the precondition for a woman's psychological and physical health. Her aim was the reintroduction of matrilineality, and her writings expressed a veneration for the mother, in physical as well as spiritual form.
In Leipzig on 12 November 1904, Bré founded the Bund für Mutterschutz (Society for the Protection of Mothers). Among the signatories of the Bund's founding document were reformer Friedrich Landmann and local official and writer Heinrich Meyer. The Bund für Mutterschutz quickly became successful, finding many prominent supporters. Yet relatively swiftly, following conflicts over the direction of the organization, Bré was defeated by her opponent Helene Stöcker, who usurped her position and pushed the Bund in the direction of sexual reform, reflected in the name Deutscher Bund für Mutterschutz und Sexualreform, adopted in 1908. Bré and her comrades accused Stöcker of having stolen Bré's intellectual property.[8]
Bré founded at least one mothers' colony on the model of matriarchal societies.[9]
Selected writingsedit
Elisabeth Bouneß: Die Frau an der Jahrhundertwende. Breslau 1900. (Play).
Elisabeth Bouness: Kaiserworte, Fürsorgegesetz und Lehrerschaft. Betrachtungen aus Liebe zum Vaterlande. Leipzig 1903.
Ruth Bré: Das Recht auf die Mutterschaft: Eine Forderung zur Bekämpfung der Prostitution, der Frauen- und Geschlechtskrankheiten. Leipzig 1903.
Ruth Bré: Staatskinder oder Mutterrecht? Versuche zur Erlösung aus dem sexuellen und wirtschaftlichen Elend. Leipzig 1904.
Ruth Bré: Keine Alimentationsklage mehr! Schutz den Müttern! Ein Weckruf an alle, die eine Mutter hatten. Leipzig 1905.
Ruth Bré: Ecce Mater! (Siehe eine Mutter!). Leipzig 1905. (Novel).
Ruth Bré: "Geboren am Weihnachtsabend". In: Die Neue Generation, Vol. 5, No. 2/1909, pp. 81–85.
Ruth Bré: "Zunächst andere Ehegesetze!" In: Hedwig Dohm et al. (ed.): Ehe? Zur Reform der sexuellen Moral, Berlin 1911, pp. 177–191.
Referencesedit
^Richard J. Evans: The feminist movement in Germany. London, Beverly Hills 1976 (SAGE Studies in 20th Century History, Vol. 6). ISBN0-8039-9951-8, p. 120
^Julia Polzin: Ruth Bré und der Bund für Mutterschutz. Hamburg 2012, p. 13
^Julia Polzin: Ruth Bré und der Bund für Mutterschutz. Hamburg 2012, p. 15
^Julia Polzin: Ruth Bré und der Bund für Mutterschutz. Hamburg 2012, p. 81
^Christl Wickert: Helene Stöcker 1869−1943. Frauenrechtlerin, Sexualreformerin und Pazifistin.. Bonn 1991. ISBN3-8012-0167-8, p. 183
^Helene Stöcker: Ruth Bré und der Bund für Mutterschutz. In: Die Neue Generation, Vol. 8, No. 1, Jg. 8/1912, p. 39
^Ruth Bré: Staatskinder oder Mutterrecht? Versuche zur Erlösung aus dem sexuellen und wirtschaftlichen Elend. Leipzig 1904, p. 33
^Helene Stöcker: Ruth Bré und der Bund für Mutterschutz. In: Die Neue Generation, Vol. 8, No. 1, Jg. 8/1912, p. 30, 31
^Adele Schreiber: Die Ansätze neuer Sittlichkeitsbegriffe in Hinblick auf die Mutterschaft. In: Dies. (Hg.): Mutterschaft. Ein Sammelwerk für die Probleme des Weibes als Mutter, München 1912, p. 176; Evans (1976), p. 121
Richard J. Evans: The feminist movement in Germany. London, Beverly Hills 1976 (= SAGE Studies in 20th Century History, Vol. 6). ISBN0-8039-9951-8.
Gudrun Hamelmann: Helene Stöcker, der „Bund für Mutterschutz“ und „Die Neue Generation“. Frankfurt am Main 1992. ISBN3-89228-945-X.
Bernd Nowacki: Der Bund für Mutterschutz (1905–1933). Husum 1983 (= Abhandlungen zur Geschichte der Medizin und der Naturwissenschaften, Heft 48). ISBN3-7868-4048-2.
Julia Polzin: Ruth Bré und der Bund für Mutterschutz. Hamburg 2012. Masterarbeit Universität Hamburg
Adele Schreiber: "Die Ansätze neuer Sittlichkeitsbegriffe in Hinblick auf die Mutterschaft". In: Dies. (Hg.): Mutterschaft. Ein Sammelwerk für die Probleme des Weibes als Mutter, München 1912, S. 163–185.
Helene Stöcker: "Ruth Bré und der Bund für Mutterschutz". In: Die Neue Generation, Bd. 8, Nr. 1, Jg. 8/1912, S. 30–40.
Christl Wickert: Helene Stöcker 1869−1943. Frauenrechtlerin, Sexualreformerin und Pazifistin. Eine Biografie. Bonn 1991. ISBN3-8012-0167-8.
April 11, 2024
ruth, bré, elisabeth, bonnes, bouness, best, known, under, name, 1862, december, 1911, herischdorf, today, jelenia, góra, german, advocate, matrilineality, women, rights, writer, journalist, playwright, radical, critic, patriarchy, bré, founder, bund, für, mut. Elisabeth Bonnes Bouness best known under her pen name Ruth Bre 1862 7 December 1911 in Herischdorf today Jelenia Gora was a German advocate for matrilineality and women s rights a writer journalist playwright and radical critic of patriarchy Bre was the founder of the Bund fur Mutterschutz 1 an organization that aimed to improve women s standing in law economics and society Contents 1 Life 2 Advocate for women s and mothers rights 3 Selected writings 4 References 5 Further readingLife editRuth Bre was born out of wedlock The names of her parents were kept a secret She had at least one brother 2 Bre worked as a teacher engaged in public debates on children s education and wrote plays that were publicly performed The name Ruth Bre was a pseudonym The word Bre is thought to be the initial letters of the last name Elisabeth Rothmund Bonnes in reverse 3 Rothmund was the name of her biological mother She published her earliest writings under the pseudonym Elisabeth Bouness alternate spelling Bouness and her writings on the women s movement under the pseudonym Ruth Bre Bre s grave on the Cavalier Berg in Herischdorf today Jelenia Gora no longer exists 4 Advocate for women s and mothers rights editFollowing her early retirement 5 she became active in the women s movement in Germany of which she belonged to the radical wing From this point on she wrote treatises on the rights of mothers a novel and articles and tried her hand as the editor of a newspaper She impressed her listeners with among other qualities her fiery rhetoric 6 Ruth Bre devoted her life to improving the situation of single mothers and their children In her writings she criticized the conditions of motherhood in patriarchal society and urged Women give birth not to others but to yourselves The woman can exist without the state but not the state without the woman 7 Among other causes Bre fought against the firing of married female civil servants the so called Lehrerinnenzolibat prescribed celibacy for female teachers and for freely chosen motherhood In Bre s view motherhood was not the precondition for a woman s psychological and physical health Her aim was the reintroduction of matrilineality and her writings expressed a veneration for the mother in physical as well as spiritual form In Leipzig on 12 November 1904 Bre founded the Bund fur Mutterschutz Society for the Protection of Mothers Among the signatories of the Bund s founding document were reformer Friedrich Landmann and local official and writer Heinrich Meyer The Bund fur Mutterschutz quickly became successful finding many prominent supporters Yet relatively swiftly following conflicts over the direction of the organization Bre was defeated by her opponent Helene Stocker who usurped her position and pushed the Bund in the direction of sexual reform reflected in the name Deutscher Bund fur Mutterschutz und Sexualreform adopted in 1908 Bre and her comrades accused Stocker of having stolen Bre s intellectual property 8 Bre founded at least one mothers colony on the model of matriarchal societies 9 Selected writings editElisabeth Bouness Die Frau an der Jahrhundertwende Breslau 1900 Play Elisabeth Bouness Kaiserworte Fursorgegesetz und Lehrerschaft Betrachtungen aus Liebe zum Vaterlande Leipzig 1903 Ruth Bre Das Recht auf die Mutterschaft Eine Forderung zur Bekampfung der Prostitution der Frauen und Geschlechtskrankheiten Leipzig 1903 Ruth Bre Staatskinder oder Mutterrecht Versuche zur Erlosung aus dem sexuellen und wirtschaftlichen Elend Leipzig 1904 Ruth Bre Keine Alimentationsklage mehr Schutz den Muttern Ein Weckruf an alle die eine Mutter hatten Leipzig 1905 Ruth Bre Ecce Mater Siehe eine Mutter Leipzig 1905 Novel Ruth Bre Geboren am Weihnachtsabend In Die Neue Generation Vol 5 No 2 1909 pp 81 85 Ruth Bre Zunachst andere Ehegesetze In Hedwig Dohm et al ed Ehe Zur Reform der sexuellen Moral Berlin 1911 pp 177 191 References edit Richard J Evans The feminist movement in Germany London Beverly Hills 1976 SAGE Studies in 20th Century History Vol 6 ISBN 0 8039 9951 8 p 120 Julia Polzin Ruth Bre und der Bund fur Mutterschutz Hamburg 2012 p 13 Julia Polzin Ruth Bre und der Bund fur Mutterschutz Hamburg 2012 p 15 Julia Polzin Ruth Bre und der Bund fur Mutterschutz Hamburg 2012 p 81 Christl Wickert Helene Stocker 1869 1943 Frauenrechtlerin Sexualreformerin und Pazifistin Bonn 1991 ISBN 3 8012 0167 8 p 183 Helene Stocker Ruth Bre und der Bund fur Mutterschutz In Die Neue Generation Vol 8 No 1 Jg 8 1912 p 39 Ruth Bre Staatskinder oder Mutterrecht Versuche zur Erlosung aus dem sexuellen und wirtschaftlichen Elend Leipzig 1904 p 33 Helene Stocker Ruth Bre und der Bund fur Mutterschutz In Die Neue Generation Vol 8 No 1 Jg 8 1912 p 30 31 Adele Schreiber Die Ansatze neuer Sittlichkeitsbegriffe in Hinblick auf die Mutterschaft In Dies Hg Mutterschaft Ein Sammelwerk fur die Probleme des Weibes als Mutter Munchen 1912 p 176 Evans 1976 p 121 This article includes a list of general references but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations March 2014 Learn how and when to remove this template message Further reading editRichard J Evans The feminist movement in Germany London Beverly Hills 1976 SAGE Studies in 20th Century History Vol 6 ISBN 0 8039 9951 8 Gudrun Hamelmann Helene Stocker der Bund fur Mutterschutz und Die Neue Generation Frankfurt am Main 1992 ISBN 3 89228 945 X Bernd Nowacki Der Bund fur Mutterschutz 1905 1933 Husum 1983 Abhandlungen zur Geschichte der Medizin und der Naturwissenschaften Heft 48 ISBN 3 7868 4048 2 Julia Polzin Ruth Bre und der Bund fur Mutterschutz Hamburg 2012 Masterarbeit Universitat Hamburg Adele Schreiber Die Ansatze neuer Sittlichkeitsbegriffe in Hinblick auf die Mutterschaft In Dies Hg Mutterschaft Ein Sammelwerk fur die Probleme des Weibes als Mutter Munchen 1912 S 163 185 Helene Stocker Ruth Bre und der Bund fur Mutterschutz In Die Neue Generation Bd 8 Nr 1 Jg 8 1912 S 30 40 Christl Wickert Helene Stocker 1869 1943 Frauenrechtlerin Sexualreformerin und Pazifistin Eine Biografie Bonn 1991 ISBN 3 8012 0167 8 Deutschlandradio Berlin 100 Jahre Mutterschutzbund Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Ruth Bre amp oldid 1078414612, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
