Born: 1855 (Vienna, Austria)
Died: 1910 (Maria Enzersdorf, Austria)
Biography:
Auguste Fickert (born 25 May 1855, Vienna – died 9 June 1910, Maria Enzersdorf, Austria) was a pioneering Austrian feminist and social reformer. Her politics were on the left wing of Austrian feminism and she allied with proletarian organizations in campaigns around education and legal protection for working-class women.
Fickert was born on 25 May 1855 in Vienna, Austria, to Wilhelm Fickert, a Viennese court printer, and his wife Louise. She grew up alongside her sister, Marianne, and two brothers, Emil and Willy. She received her education at the Englisher Fraulein convent school and later attended the Lehrerinnen-Bildungsanstalt St Anna, a teacher training college, where she graduated with honors in 1876.
Following her graduation, Fickert began her teaching career at a girls’ school in Vienna’s Schulegasse. Throughout her professional life, she remained dedicated to the field of education. However, her path took a significant turn in 1893 when she publicly criticized the religious basis of school instruction in Austria and left the Catholic Church. This decision drew the attention of the Christian Social Party, who launched vitriolic attacks against her, compounded by their anti-Semitic beliefs. Despite the relentless attacks she faced, Fickert remained steadfast in her beliefs and continued to advocate for her ideals.
Fickert’s first notable political act was organizing a petition in 1889 to protest the disfranchisement of women voters in government elections in Lower Austria. Although she collected over 1000 signatures from women who were protesting the loss of their voting rights, the measure still went ahead. This early experience sparked her commitment to the cause of universal suffrage for women in Austria.
In addition to her work on suffrage, Fickert actively campaigned for the rights of women civil servants and better treatment of prostitutes. In 1893, she co-founded the Allgemeiner Österreichischer Frauenverein (General Austrian Women’s Association), the most radical feminist organization of its time in Austria. Fickert served as the editor of the association’s publications, Dokumente der Frauen (Documents of Women) and Neues Frauenleben (New Woman’s Life). In 1897, she assumed the organization’s directorship. Although her relationship with Marie Lang, a close friend and collaborator, eventually soured, Fickert continued to be an influential figurehead for the women’s movement in Austria.
In 1902, Fickert established the magazine, Neues Frauenleben, with Leopoldine Kulka as its editor. Kulka, a renowned literature historian and the first female lecturer at the University of Vienna, played a crucial role in Fickert’s publication.
Throughout her adult life, Fickert shared a close companionship with Ida Baumann, another teacher who shared her early steps into political action. Baumann remained a loyal friend and confidante to Fickert. However, unlike Fickert, Baumann preferred to stay out of the public eye, making her less well-known within the women’s movement.
Despite facing systemic obstacles and personal conflicts, Auguste Fickert remained dedicated to her cause until her death on 9 June 1910 in Maria Enzersdorf, Austria. Her tireless efforts and unwavering commitment to feminism and the improvement of proletarian women’s lives left an indelible mark on Austrian society.