Elly Heuss-Knapp
Encyclopedia
Elisabeth Eleonore Anna Justine "Elly" Heuss-Knapp, née Knapp
(born January 1881 in Strasbourg
, died July 19, 1952 in Bonn
) was a German
liberal politician, author and wife of Theodor Heuss
—from 1949 until her death. She was the founder of the Müttergenesungswerk
(the Elly Heuss-Knapp Foundation), which is named in her honour, as well a co-founder and Vice President of the European Movement
in Germany. She also served as a Member of Parliament of the state of Württemberg-Baden
(1946–1949).
(1842–1926), the founder of the chartalist
school of monetary theory
, who taught at the University of Strasbourg
. Her mother Lydia Qorghanashvili, who was from Georgia
, became mentally ill shortly after her birth, and Elly and her sister Marianne were raised by their father alone, uncommon at the time.
She studied to become a teacher, taking the exam in 1899, and worked as a teacher at a girl's school in Strasbourg from 1900, of which she was one of the co-founders. She early became politically influenced by Friedrich Naumann, a prominent liberal, and in 1905, she went on to study economics, and became a frequent public speaker on political issues. In 1908, she married then-journalist Theodor Heuss
, an assistant to Friedrich Naumann. The wedding was presided over by Albert Schweitzer
. Their only son, Ernst Ludwig Heuss, was born in 1910. Due to complications during that birth (which was nearly fatal for Elly), she could not have more children.
From 1922, she became more interested in theological questions and became active in the Protestant congregation of Otto Dibelius.
During the period of Nazi rule, she was forbidden to speak publicly, and her husband was fired from his job at a university. Their home became a meeting place of people opposed to the regime, including Martin Niemöller
. Elly Heuss-Knapp became an author and worked in advertising to support her family. Her autobiography, Ausblick vom Münsterturm, was published in 1934, and a second edition in 1952. Heuss-Knapp and her husband lived in Heidelberg
in the final stage of the Second World War.
From 1946 to 1949, she was elected a Member of Parliament of the state of Württemberg-Baden
, as a representative of the liberal Demokratische Volkspartei (DVP) and later the Freie Demokratische Partei (FDP). Her work as a politician concentrated on child care and social policy in general.
Both Elly Heuss-Knapp and her husband had been candidates for the liberal Deutsche Demokratische Partei in the German election, 1919
.
Together with her husband, Elly Heuss-Knapp was one of the co-founders of the European Movement
in Germany in June, 1949, and was Vice President of the organisation.
She also founded the Müttergenesungswerk
, which was later named Elly Heuss-Knapp-Stiftung Deutsches Müttergenesungswerk in her honour.
Elly Heuss-Knapp died in 1952 at the university clinic in Bonn, and was buried at the Waldfriedhof Stuttgart.
Knapp
Knapp is a surname of German origin. It may refer to:- People :* Anthony Knapp, mathematician* Bliss Knapp, early Christian Scientist* Brooke Knapp, American aviator and realtor* Charles Knapp, American classical scholar...
(born January 1881 in Strasbourg
Strasbourg
Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,...
, died July 19, 1952 in Bonn
Bonn
Bonn is the 19th largest city in Germany. Located in the Cologne/Bonn Region, about 25 kilometres south of Cologne on the river Rhine in the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, it was the capital of West Germany from 1949 to 1990 and the official seat of government of united Germany from 1990 to 1999....
) was a German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
liberal politician, author and wife of Theodor Heuss
Theodor Heuss
Theodor Heuss was a liberal German politician who served as the first President of the Federal Republic of Germany after World War II from 1949 to 1959...
—from 1949 until her death. She was the founder of the Müttergenesungswerk
Müttergenesungswerk
The Müttergenesungswerk , full name Elly Heuss-Knapp-Stiftung, Deutsches Müttergenesungswerk, is a charitable organisation founded in 1950 by Elly Heuss-Knapp , then First Lady of Germany as wife of Theodor Heuss. It aims to promote the interests and well-being of mothers by measures of prevention...
(the Elly Heuss-Knapp Foundation), which is named in her honour, as well a co-founder and Vice President of the European Movement
European Movement
The European Movement International is a lobbying association that coordinates the efforts of associations and national councils with the goal of promoting European integration, and disseminating information about it.-History:...
in Germany. She also served as a Member of Parliament of the state of Württemberg-Baden
Württemberg-Baden
Württemberg-Baden is a former state of Federal Republic of Germany. It was created in 1945 by the U.S. occupation forces, after the previous states of Baden and Württemberg had been split up between the US and French occupation zones. Its capital was Stuttgart...
(1946–1949).
Life
Elly Knapp was the daughter of the renowned economist Georg Friedrich KnappGeorg Friedrich Knapp
Georg Friedrich Knapp was a German economist and founder of the chartalist school of monetary theory, which takes the statist stance on money, claiming that it must have no intrinsic value and strictly be used as governmentally-issued token i.e...
(1842–1926), the founder of the chartalist
Chartalism
Chartalism is a descriptive economic theory that details the procedures and consequences of using government-issued tokens as the unit of money. The name derives from the Latin charta, in the sense of a token or ticket...
school of monetary theory
Monetary theory
Monetary economics is a branch of economics that historically prefigured and remains integrally linked to macroeconomics. Monetary economics provides a framework for analyzing money in its functions as a medium of exchange, store of value, and unit of account. It considers how money, for example...
, who taught at the University of Strasbourg
University of Strasbourg
The University of Strasbourg in Strasbourg, Alsace, France, is the largest university in France, with about 43,000 students and over 4,000 researchers....
. Her mother Lydia Qorghanashvili, who was from Georgia
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
, became mentally ill shortly after her birth, and Elly and her sister Marianne were raised by their father alone, uncommon at the time.
She studied to become a teacher, taking the exam in 1899, and worked as a teacher at a girl's school in Strasbourg from 1900, of which she was one of the co-founders. She early became politically influenced by Friedrich Naumann, a prominent liberal, and in 1905, she went on to study economics, and became a frequent public speaker on political issues. In 1908, she married then-journalist Theodor Heuss
Theodor Heuss
Theodor Heuss was a liberal German politician who served as the first President of the Federal Republic of Germany after World War II from 1949 to 1959...
, an assistant to Friedrich Naumann. The wedding was presided over by Albert Schweitzer
Albert Schweitzer
Albert Schweitzer OM was a German theologian, organist, philosopher, physician, and medical missionary. He was born in Kaysersberg in the province of Alsace-Lorraine, at that time part of the German Empire...
. Their only son, Ernst Ludwig Heuss, was born in 1910. Due to complications during that birth (which was nearly fatal for Elly), she could not have more children.
From 1922, she became more interested in theological questions and became active in the Protestant congregation of Otto Dibelius.
During the period of Nazi rule, she was forbidden to speak publicly, and her husband was fired from his job at a university. Their home became a meeting place of people opposed to the regime, including Martin Niemöller
Martin Niemöller
Friedrich Gustav Emil Martin Niemöller was a German anti-Nazi theologian and Lutheran pastor. He is best known as the author of the poem "First they came…"....
. Elly Heuss-Knapp became an author and worked in advertising to support her family. Her autobiography, Ausblick vom Münsterturm, was published in 1934, and a second edition in 1952. Heuss-Knapp and her husband lived in Heidelberg
Heidelberg
-Early history:Between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago, "Heidelberg Man" died at nearby Mauer. His jaw bone was discovered in 1907; with scientific dating, his remains were determined to be the earliest evidence of human life in Europe. In the 5th century BC, a Celtic fortress of refuge and place of...
in the final stage of the Second World War.
From 1946 to 1949, she was elected a Member of Parliament of the state of Württemberg-Baden
Württemberg-Baden
Württemberg-Baden is a former state of Federal Republic of Germany. It was created in 1945 by the U.S. occupation forces, after the previous states of Baden and Württemberg had been split up between the US and French occupation zones. Its capital was Stuttgart...
, as a representative of the liberal Demokratische Volkspartei (DVP) and later the Freie Demokratische Partei (FDP). Her work as a politician concentrated on child care and social policy in general.
Both Elly Heuss-Knapp and her husband had been candidates for the liberal Deutsche Demokratische Partei in the German election, 1919
German election, 1919
The German elections of January 19, 1919 were the first of the new Weimar Republic following World War I and the Revolution of 1918–19. It was also the first German election according to the system of proportional representation and women's suffrage...
.
Together with her husband, Elly Heuss-Knapp was one of the co-founders of the European Movement
European Movement
The European Movement International is a lobbying association that coordinates the efforts of associations and national councils with the goal of promoting European integration, and disseminating information about it.-History:...
in Germany in June, 1949, and was Vice President of the organisation.
She also founded the Müttergenesungswerk
Müttergenesungswerk
The Müttergenesungswerk , full name Elly Heuss-Knapp-Stiftung, Deutsches Müttergenesungswerk, is a charitable organisation founded in 1950 by Elly Heuss-Knapp , then First Lady of Germany as wife of Theodor Heuss. It aims to promote the interests and well-being of mothers by measures of prevention...
, which was later named Elly Heuss-Knapp-Stiftung Deutsches Müttergenesungswerk in her honour.
Elly Heuss-Knapp died in 1952 at the university clinic in Bonn, and was buried at the Waldfriedhof Stuttgart.
Books
- Elly Heuss-Knapp: Bürgerkunde und Volkswirtschaftslehre für Frauen (1910).
- Elly Heuss-Knapp: Schmale Wege, Verlag Wunderlich, 1946
- Georg Friedrich Knapp, Elly Heuss-Knapp: Eine Jugend. Deutsche Verl.-Anst.; Auflage: 2., erw. Aufl. (1947)
- Elly Heuss-Knapp: Ausblick vom Münsterturm. Erinnerungen. R. Wunderlich, Tübingen 1984, ISBN 3-805-20086-2
- Elly Heuss-Knapp, Margarethe Vater: Bürgerin zweier Welten . Verlag Wunderlich, 1961
External links
- Rundfunkwerbung der dreißiger Jahre von Elly Heuss-Knapp, Deutsches Rundfunkarchiv
- Gedenkblatt zu Elly Heuss-Knapp, Stiftung Geißstraße 7