Reifenstein Schools
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The Reifenstein schools () were the various schools of higher education for women associated with the Reifensteiner Verband. The concept was initiated by
Ida von Kortzfleisch Ida von Kortzfleisch (1850-1915), was a German educator. She is known as the founder of the '' Reifensteiner Schulen'', a chain of household schools for women which became very popular and influential from 1896 onward. References * Johannes Kr ...
, a Prussian noble woman and early German feminist. Reifenstein refers to Reifenstein in
Eichsfeld The Eichsfeld ( or ; 'Oak-field') is a historical region in the southeast of the state of Lower Saxony (which is called , 'lower Eichsfeld') and northwest of the state of Thuringia (, 'upper Eichsfeld') in the south of the Harz mountains in Germany ...
, a municipality in
Thuringia Thuringia (; officially the Free State of Thuringia, ) is one of Germany, Germany's 16 States of Germany, states. With 2.1 million people, it is 12th-largest by population, and with 16,171 square kilometers, it is 11th-largest in area. Er ...
and site of the first permanent school. From 1897 to 1990 the Reifensteiner Verband operated about 15 of its own schools and cooperated with further operators. About 40 ''wirtschaftliche Frauenschulen'', rural women's economic schools, were connected to the Reifenstein concept and movement. The association and its journals provided an alumni network and a job placement service, as well as strengthening
home economics Home economics, also called domestic science or family and consumer sciences (often shortened to FCS or FACS), is a subject concerning human development, personal and family finances, consumer issues, housing and interior design, nutrition and f ...
 (
Ecotrophology Ecotrophology is a branch of nutritional science and food science Food science (or bromatology) is the basic science and applied science of food; its scope starts at overlap with agricultural science and nutritional science and leads through t ...
) as an academic discipline and were important for consumer advice and rural social services over all. About 90,000 women took the higher education courses. Some of the alumni, such as
Käthe Delius Käthe or Kathe is a given name. Notable people with the name include: *Käthe Dorsch (1890–1957), German actress * Käthe Gold (1907–1997), Austrian actress *Käthe Grasegger, later Deuschl (1917–2001), German alpine skier *Kathe Green (b ...
,
Marie-Elisabeth Lüders Marie-Elisabeth Lüders (June 25, 1878 – March 23, 1966) was a German politician and women's rights activist. Lüders was born in Berlin as the descendant of the 18th century agricultural reformer Philipp Ernst Lüders. Her father was a senior ...
and
Freya von Moltke Freya von Moltke (née Deichmann; 29 March 1911 – 1 January 2010) was a German American lawyer and participant in the anti-Nazism, Nazi opposition group, the Kreisau Circle, with her husband, Helmuth James von Moltke. During World War II, h ...
, had important roles in German higher education and German society overall.


Background

Under the German Empire until the early 20th century, household services played a central role in the employment of women. Instead of a systematic training as in the dual system of vocational education, the education of women in the countryside happened often along a principle of on-the-job training. Young men at this time often gained skills from winter schools and various professional educational institutions. Rural women's education was deemed a troubled sector and its shortcomings were a main topic of the early women's movement. A 1913 doctorate by Joachim Kramer about the household education in Germany refers to the ongoing reform aspects. The 1870s saw some progress; the first winter schools had been founded by the Badische Frauenverein, founded by
Princess Louise of Prussia Louise of Prussia (Luise Marie Elisabeth; 3 December 1838 – 23 April 1923) was Grand Duchess of Baden from 1856 to 1907 as the wife of Grand Duke Frederick I. Princess Louise was the second child and only daughter of Wilhelm I, German E ...
in the state of Baden.Kramer, p. 30–35 While the winter schools lost their impact to permanent schools in
Baden Baden (; ) is a historical territory in southern Germany. In earlier times it was considered to be on both sides of the Upper Rhine, but since the Napoleonic Wars, it has been considered only East of the Rhine. History The margraves of Ba ...
already before World War I, they gained importance in
Bavaria Bavaria, officially the Free State of Bavaria, is a States of Germany, state in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the list of German states by area, largest German state by land area, comprising approximately 1/5 of the total l ...
in the 1920s. Kramer compared the German situation and the state of household education abroad: Switzerland, Belgium and Austria had winter schools; The Austrian education for rural women was comparably backward, and Switzerland took a leading position. In France, housekeeping was a topic in primary schools, but not part of higher education. According to Kramer, Iowa and the state of New York in the United States were then leading in the field.Kramer, 1913, § 11: Ländlich-hauswirtschaftliche Unterrichtsvorkehrungen im Auslande, p. 110–115 The technical equipment and technology available to households gained importance in the 19th century. According to
Hans Jürgen Teuteberg Hans Jürgen Teuteberg (18 December 1929–14 February 2015) was a German historian, who worked as a professor of social and economic history at the University of Münster from 1974 to 1995. Teuteberg's ''magnum opus'' was his ''History of Industr ...
, the household literature then started to address women. Earlier works, like the Hausväterliteratur (
Hlaford Lord is an appellation for a person or deity who has authority, control, or power over others, acting as a master, chief, or ruler. The appellation can also denote certain persons who hold a title of the peerage in the United Kingdom, or are e ...
books, a German kind of early economic literature) addressed the ''
pater familias The ''pater familias'', also written as ''paterfamilias'' (: ''patres familias''), was the head of a Roman family. The ''pater familias'' was the oldest living male in a household, and could legally exercise autocratic authority over his extende ...
'', male and noble heads of larger rural households. Within the second half of the 19th century, women - as house mother or housewives - were being perceived and addressed. The new role of the housewife as head of the household was being deemed a positive development first and only later was "how housewives were being made" deemed negative.


Ida von Kortzfleisch

In 1894, Ida von Kortzfleisch published an article in Tägliche Rundschau, a Berlin newspaper, called ''The Female compulsory service in the economist college for women.'' She responded to a series of articles by the writer Otto Leixner about the "Female Question" in Germany. Leixner had loathed the
women's rights Women's rights are the rights and Entitlement (fair division), entitlements claimed for women and girls worldwide. They formed the basis for the women's rights movement in the 19th century and the feminist movements during the 20th and 21st c ...
movement (as ''Weiberrechtlerinnen'') and he had deplored their alleged lack of patriotism. Kortzfleisch asked to establish a female service year, similar to the ''Einjährige'', a year of military service of male graduates of high schools. Ida von Kortzfleisch explicitly associated her efforts with women's rights as a citizen in the Kaiserreich. The controversy distributed to establish higher education for women in the ''wirtschaftliche Frauenschule.''


Development

The first classes started in Ofleiden, but was transferred to Reifenstein soon after. The states of Prussia provided an official acknowledgement in 1909.Ortrud Wörner-Heil: Frauenschulen auf dem Lande 1997, S. 26–31 In 1913, the Reifenstein association was admitted to the
Bund Deutscher Frauenvereine The Bund Deutscher Frauenvereine (Federation of German Women's Associations) (BDF) was founded on 28/29 March 1894 as umbrella organization of the women's civil rights feminist movement and existed until the Nazi Seizure of Power, Nazi seizure of po ...
. The conservative and basically-Protestant background did not hinder a cooperation with the Jüdische Frauenbund (Jewish Women's Association), which established a Jewish Reifenstein school in Wolfratshausen in 1926. The Reifenstein association and its schools was included in the
Reichsnährstand The ''Reichsnährstand'' or 'State Food Society', was a government body set up in Nazi Germany to regulate food production. Foundation The Reichsnährstand was founded by the Reichsnährstandsgesetz (decree) of 13 September 1933; it was led by ...
in 1934. The noble background of various pupils and the close connection to the Protestant church lead to some clashes with the regime. Bad Weilbach, Chattenbühl, Obernkirchen, Wittgenstein and Wöltingerode reopened 1946 in the western occupation zones. The eastern parts went into state ownership in 1947. Some of the schools in the far Eastern part of Prussia, e.g. the
Landfrauenschule Metgethen Landfrauenschule Metgethen was a German women's school in Metgethen, which became part of Königsberg in 1939. History Founded by Elisabeth Böhm-Lamgarben, chairwoman of the Landwirtschaftlicher Hausfrauenverein Ostpreußen (agricultural housew ...
had been destroyed during the end of war. The 1960s saw major changes in the concept, e.g. the end of the compulsory maiden costume. The first male student was admitted in 1980. The last two schools closed down in the 1990s and are now part of a Protestant youth organization.


Trivia

Marie-Elisabeth Lüders Marie-Elisabeth Lüders (June 25, 1878 – March 23, 1966) was a German politician and women's rights activist. Lüders was born in Berlin as the descendant of the 18th century agricultural reformer Philipp Ernst Lüders. Her father was a senior ...
reported about mocking remarks from Berlin friends about the rural sites and backgrounds of the schools. Carry Brachvogel provided material for improved household knowledge in Bavaria. She deplored the lack of quality cuisine in the Free State of Bavaria and expected some improvements via the training courses provided by teachers trained in Reifenstein schools.Hans Kratzer: ''Sauguad. Das Bayerische Kochbuch gibt es seit 100 Jahren. Es spiegelt Küchen- und Technikgeschichte, Sprache und Zeitgeist wider. Und kochen lernt man damit auch.'', in:
Süddeutsche Zeitung The ''Süddeutsche Zeitung'' (; ), published in Munich, Bavaria, is one of the largest and most influential daily newspapers in Germany. The tone of ''SZ'' is mainly described as centre-left, liberal, social-liberal, progressive-liberal, and ...
, Nr. 244, 23. Oktober 2015, p. R15.
The Bayerische Kochbuch (Bavarian Cookbook), a still-famous household item, is not about specific Bavarian menus, but is based on the experience of the school in Miesbach.


Famous pupils

* Elisabeth von Barsewisch and Gisa von Barsewisch, authors * Caroline Hermine and Henriette, daughters of German Emperor
Wilhelm Wilhelm may refer to: People and fictional characters * William Charles John Pitcher, costume designer known professionally as "Wilhelm" * Wilhelm (name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name or surname Other uses * Wilhe ...
II, in
Obernkirchen Obernkirchen () is a town in the district of Schaumburg, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated approximately 8 km southwest of Stadthagen, and 15 km east of Minden Minden () is a middle-sized town in the very north-east of Nort ...
* Käthe Delius, (1893–1977), longtime head of Bundesforschungsanstalt für Hauswirtschaft, the federal research institute for household economics * Friederike Luise von Hannover, later Queen of Greece, 1937 in Obernkirchen *
Marie-Elisabeth Lüders Marie-Elisabeth Lüders (June 25, 1878 – March 23, 1966) was a German politician and women's rights activist. Lüders was born in Berlin as the descendant of the 18th century agricultural reformer Philipp Ernst Lüders. Her father was a senior ...
1899 in Nieder-Ofleiden, German feminist and politician *
Freya von Moltke Freya von Moltke (née Deichmann; 29 March 1911 – 1 January 2010) was a German American lawyer and participant in the anti-Nazism, Nazi opposition group, the Kreisau Circle, with her husband, Helmuth James von Moltke. During World War II, h ...
, member of the 20 July movement * Ruth von Kalkreuth, pioneer of the Landfrauenmovement in Württemberg *
Elisabeth von Thadden Elisabeth Adelheid Hildegard von Thadden (29 July 1890 – 8 September 1944) was a German progressive educator and a resistance fighter against the Nazi régime as a member of the Solf Circle. She was sentenced to death for conspiring to com ...
, educator and member of the 20 July resistance movement * Ernestine von Trott zu Solz, social work activist * Verena Lafferentz, granddaughter of Richard Wagner, Obernkirchen 1936/37


List of schools

The table contains schools owned by the Reifensteiner Verband. A further 25 schools have been associated with the Reifenstein concept, among them a school in
Stift Finn The term (; ) is derived from the verb (to donate) and originally meant 'a donation'. Such donations usually comprised earning assets, originally landed estates with serfs defraying dues (originally often in kind) or with vassal tenants of noble ...
in
Estonia Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia, is a country in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, and to the east by Ru ...
(1922–1939) and Lehrfarm (training farm)
Brakwater Brakwater (Afrikaans: ''brackish water'') is a settlement north of Windhoek in the Khomas Region of Namibia. It belongs to the Windhoek Rural electoral constituency. Brakwater was the end point of the first 17 km of non-gravel road in South West ...
, near Windhuk in the then German colony of Südwestafrika (
Namibia Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country on the west coast of Southern Africa. Its borders include the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south; in the no ...
). The name of ''Maid'' (older German for Miss or maiden) refers to the acronym Mut, Ausdauer, Idealismus und Demut (Courage, perseverance, idealism and humility). The symbols worne by the Maiden are valuable collectors items in the meanwhile, some tried to relate them with the ''Arbeitsmaiden'' of the
Nazi Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right politics, far-right Totalitarianism, totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During H ...
''
Reichsarbeitsdienst The Reich Labour Service (''Reichsarbeitsdienst''; RAD) was a major paramilitary organization established in Nazi Germany as an agency to help mitigate the effects of unemployment on the Economy of Nazi Germany, German economy, militarise the wo ...
'', which are however not connected in any way.


Further reading


Historical studies and documents

* Allgemeine Vereinsschrift des Reifensteiner Vereins, Gotha 1915 (advertisement of 1915) * J. Frick: Wie wird man in Preußen Lehrerin der landwirtschaftlichen Haushaltungskunde? Zweite Auflage 1914 (How to become a female house economics teacher in Prussia) * Anna von Heydekampf, Maidenstammliste, Gotha : Schmidt & Thelow, 1925 (Members list) * Ida von Kortzfleisch, Das Maidenbuch 1910 (von Kortzfleischs study book about the Maidens knowledge) * Johannes Kramer: Das ländlich-hauswirtschaftliche Bildungswesen in Deutschland, Dissertation an der Universität Erlangen, Fulda 1913 * Das Maidenblatt : Organ des Reifensteiner Verbandes für Haus- und Landwirtschaftliche Frauenbildung e. V. und des Maidenbundes, Gotha Schmidt & Thelow 1916–1942 * Preußen Ministerium für Landwirtschaft, Domänen und Forsten: Die Bestimmungen des Herrn Ministers für Landwirtschaft, Domänen und Forsten über die Ausbildung von Lehrerinnen der Landwirtschaftlichen Haushaltungskunde vom 30. März 1914 : Sonderabzug für den Reifensteiner Verein für wirtschaftliche Frauenschulen auf dem Lande, Ministerialblatt für 1914, Berlin Unger (1914 official document about essentials for female teachers in house economics in Prussia)


Publications

* Lotte Matschoss, Die Schneiderpuppe aus Papier, Berlin: Reifensteiner Frauenschulverlag, 1930 * Lotte Matschoss, Farben und ihre Anwendung im täglichen Leben, Reifensteiner Frauenschulverlag, 1930 * Reifensteiner Wäscheregeln Gotha : Schmidt & Thelow,
930 Year 930 ( CMXXX) was a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * The Althing, the parliament of Iceland, is established at þingvellir ("Thing Fields"). Chieftains from various tribes gather for ...
7. durchges. u. verm. Aufl. * Luise Senff, Reifensteiner Grundrezepte für Kochen und Backen, Göttingen : Vandenhoeck u. Ruprecht, 1966, 9. Aufl. * Elsbeth von Oppen, Reifensteiner Einmachrezepte für Obst und Gemüse, Göttingen : Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 1960, Neu bearb. 10. Aufl.


Recent studies

* Ortrud Wörner-Heil: Adelige Frauen als Pionierinnen der Berufsbildung: die ländliche Hauswirtschaft und der Reifensteiner Verband kassel university press GmbH, 2010 * Ortrud Wörner-Heil: Frauenschulen auf dem Lande – Reifensteiner Verband (1897–1997), Schriftenreihe des Archivs der deutschen Frauenbewegung, Band 11, Archiv der Frauenbewegung, 1997 * Anna von Heydekampf (HrsGg.): Ida von Kortzfleisch, ihr Leben und ihr Werk, Gotha, 1927 * Anke Sawahn: Die Frauenlobby vom Land – Die Landfrauenbewegung in Deutschland und ihre Funktionärinnen 1898 bis 1948, DLG-Verlag, 2009 * Juliane Jacobi: Mädchen- und Frauenbildung in Europa – von 1500 bis zur Gegenwart, Campus Verlag, 2013


External links


Website of www.reifensteiner-verband.de/



CJD Siegen webpage

Niedersachsen archive



Frauenorte-Niedersachsen


References

{{Authority control Education in Germany Women in Germany Home economics education