Born: 1877 (Budapest, Hungary)
Died: 1948 (New York, USA)
Biography:
Rosika Schwimmer (Hungarian: Schwimmer Rózsa; 11 September 1877 – 3 August 1948) was a Hungarian-born pacifist, feminist, world federalist, and women’s suffragist. A co-founder of the Campaign for World Government with Lola Maverick Lloyd, her radical vision of world peace led to the creation of several world federalist movements and organizations. Sixty years after she first envisaged it, the movement she helped to create indeed took a leading role in the creation of the International Criminal Court, the first permanent international tribunal tasked with charging individuals with war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.
Schwimmer was born into a Jewish family in Budapest in 1877. She graduated from public school in 1891 and proved herself to be an accomplished linguist, speaking or reading eight languages. In her early career, she faced difficulty finding a job that provided a living wage. This experience sensitized her to the issues of women’s employment. It was during this time that she began to gather data to provide statistics on working women, which brought her into contact with members of the international women’s suffrage movement.
By 1904, Schwimmer became actively involved in the struggle for women’s suffrage. She co-founded the first national women’s labor umbrella organization in Hungary and the Hungarian Feminist Association. Additionally, she played a key role in organizing the Seventh Conference of the International Woman Suffrage Alliance, which was hosted in Budapest in 1913.
When World War I broke out, Schwimmer, being of Hungarian descent, was branded an enemy alien. This resulted in her leaving Europe for the United States. In the U.S., she spoke on suffrage and pacifism, contributing to the founding of the Woman’s Peace Party and the organization which would later become the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom.
In 1915, Schwimmer attended the International Congress of Women in The Hague. There, she worked with other feminists in an attempt to persuade foreign ministers in Europe to support the creation of a body that would peacefully mediate world affairs. She also played a key role in convincing Henry Ford to charter the Peace Ship, which aimed to bring about an end to the war.
From 1916 to 1918, Schwimmer lived in Europe, working on various plans to end the war. With the establishment of the First Hungarian Republic in 1918, she was appointed as one of the world’s first female ambassadors, representing Hungary in Switzerland. Unfortunately, her tenure was cut short when the Republic was overthrown in a coup d’état. Schwimmer was forced to flee to the United States, where she renounced her Hungarian citizenship.
Upon applying for naturalization in the United States, Schwimmer faced rejection based on her pacifist beliefs. However, the case was eventually overturned on appeal in 1928, which allowed her to become a naturalized citizen. Unfortunately, the following year, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the appeal in the decision United States v. Schwimmer. This left Schwimmer stateless for the rest of her life.
In the later years of her life, Schwimmer faced challenges due to ill-health and a smear campaign. However, she was fortunate to have the support of loyal friends who helped to sustain her.
Rosika Schwimmer left a lasting impact on the world through her tireless efforts as a pacifist, feminist, and advocate for world peace. Her contributions to the women’s suffrage movement and her role in promoting the idea of world government were revolutionary. Despite facing numerous challenges, she remained resolute in her pursuit of creating a more peaceful and equal world.