Born: 11 March 1866 (Igești, Bukovina region of the Austrian Empire, now Austria-Hungary)
Died: 29 December 1938
Biography:
Eugenia de Reuss Ianculescu (11 March 1866 – 29 December 1938) was a Romanian teacher, writer, and women’s rights activist. She was one of the founders of the Women’s League, the first feminist organization in Romania, and later the founder of the League for Romanian Women’s Rights and Duties. Over the course of fifty years, she fought tirelessly for women’s suffrage, utilizing various forms of activism to advocate for gender equality.
Born on 11 March 1866 in Igești, a village in the Bukovina region of the Austrian Empire (which became Austria-Hungary the following year), Eugenia de Reuss Ianculescu was the daughter of the aristocrats Maria Dinotto-Gusti and Alexandru de Reuss-Mirza. After completing her primary education in Iași, the capital of the Romanian Old Kingdom’s Moldavian region, she pursued a career as a teacher. Reuss Ianculescu’s passion for education and exploration led her to travel frequently to France and Italy, participating in activities organized by the Hellenic and Latin Association and an archaeology association, of which she was a member.
Reuss Ianculescu married a superior officer in the infantry of the 29th Regiment of Dorohoi named Ianculescu, but details about her husband remain unknown. In 1889, while teaching in Iași, Reuss Ianculescu made her initial attempt to establish a suffrage association, yet her efforts failed to attract significant interest. In 1891, she made a second attempt at forming a feminist society, receiving encouragement from Marya Chéliga-Loevy. However, this endeavor was also met with obstacles. Finally, on 30 October 1894, Reuss Ianculescu’s perseverance paid off as the General Assembly approved the founding of the Women’s League (Liga Femeilor Române). With the recruitment of Cornelia Emilian as president, the organization started publishing Buletinul Ligii Femeilor (Women’s League Bulletin), which featured articles on international feminism and women’s rights. The Women’s League remained active for a successful five-year span before disbanding at the dawn of the 20th century.
After the dissolution of the Women’s League, Reuss Ianculescu relocated to Bucharest. There, she focused on writing and published a series of novels, including Voință (Volition, 1902), Spre dezrobire (Towards Emancipation, 1903), Pentru o Idee (For an Ideal, 1904), and Menirea femeii (Woman’s Fate, 1906). Voință even received a nomination for a prize from the Romanian Academy. Spre dezrobire was dedicated to her infant daughter who tragically passed away. Reuss Ianculescu’s growing acclaim prompted her to deliver a series of lectures on women’s rights at the Romanian Athenaeum in Bucharest following the publication of Towards Emancipation. These lectures addressed various topics related to women’s rights, further solidifying her contributions to the feminist movement.
With utmost dedication, Reuss Ianculescu continued her advocacy for women’s suffrage until the year of her death in 1938. Through her novels, lectures, cultivation of support from politicians, and presentation of legislative petitions, she played an instrumental role in gaining the right for Romanian women to participate in general elections. Eugenia de Reuss Ianculescu’s lifelong determination and activism paved the way for future generations of Romanian women to realize their rights and pursue equality.