Unzeitgemäßheit: An introduction to Hedwig Dohm
Hedwig Dohm was a feminist out of her proper time. Discussing the merits and achievements of feminists in our distant past can often be a difficult task. The social ills of their time are not always equivalent to now, and understanding the value of a feminist’s then-bold statement can require delving into the historical and social context of their time. It might be hard to understand the boldness in Christine de Pizan’s cautious advice for young women in 1405 (‘be pure, simple, serene, without vagueness, for the snares of evil men are set for you’ (quoted in Kenyon, 1992, p.8)). Even as late as the nineteenth century, it can be difficult for modern readers to perceive the huge hurdles women were overcoming and the seemingly immoveable social constructs they were challenging (Mirkus, 2014, p.210). Hedwig Dohm is an exception. Although a feminist from the nineteenth century, her arguments are mostly relevant to modern feminist discussion, and often still controversial. She was, in h...