Bund Deutscher Frauenvereine

The Bund Deutscher Frauenvereine (Federation of German Women's Associations) was founded on 28/29th March 1894 as umbrella organization of the women's civil rights feminist movement and existed until the Nazi seizure of power by the National Socialists in 1933.

Its creation was inspired by the founding of the General Assembly of the International Council of Women meeting on the occasion of the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago.

History

See also: Feminism in Germany § Wilhelmine Germany

The first large meeting took place in 1907 and gathered feminists Auguste Schmidt, Anna Schepeler-Lette, Anna Simson, Hanna Bieber-Böhm, Auguste Förster, Ottilie Hoffmann, Helene von Forster, Helene Lange, Betty Naue, Jeanette Schwerin and Marie Stritt.

The Nazi rise to power, in 1933, combined with the assertion of control over women's associations. These groups for communists or socialists were forbidden, and members were arrested or even assassinated in rare cases. All associations were asked to turn in Jewish members, including the Union of Protestant Women, the Association for Home and Countryside, the Union of German Colonial Women, and the Union of Queen Louise. But soon, the majority of the organizations disbanded or chose among themselves to disappear, like the BDF which dissolved in 1933 to avoid being controlled. Some of the affiliated associations joined the Deutsches Frauenwerk.

Statistics

File:DBP 1994 1723 Bund Deutscher Frauenvereine.jpg

Commemorative stamp issued in 1994 by the German government to mark the centenary of the founding of the BDF (Federation of German Women's Associations)

• 1895 : 65 chapters
• 1901 : 137 chapters and 70,000 members
• 1913 : 2200 chapters and 500,000 members

Articles

• Women in the Third Reich
• Deutsches Frauenwerk
• Frauenschaft