Lily Braun
Encyclopedia
Lily Braun born Amalie von Kretschmann, was a German
feminist writer.
general Hans von Kretschmann. Her grandmother, Baroness Jenny von Sustedt, had been an illegitimate daughter of Jérôme Bonaparte
, Napoleon's brother who was King of Westphalia.
Lily Braun was briefly married to the professor of philosophy Georg von Gizycki, who was associated with the Social Democratic Party of Germany
(SPD) without however being a member of the party. Together with him she was involved in the ethical movement, which sought to establish a system of morality in place of the traditional religions. After his death, she married in 1896 Heinrich Braun (1854–1927), who was a Social Democratic politician and a publicist.
Lily Braun joined the SPD at an early age and became one of the leaders of the German feminist movement
. She belonged to the revisionist
opposition within the SPD. Revisionists didn't believe in the theories of historical materialism
and believed in the gradual adaptation of society, rather than a socialist revolution.
Lily was heavily influenced by Friedrich Nietzsche
and wanted the SPD to focus on the development of personality and individuality instead of levelling everybody. Women should have their own personality and should not have to be only regarded as (future) mothers and wives. She wanted economic freedom
for women and the abolition of legal marriage.
She died after a long illness on 8 August 1916.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4SUDEGAhXs
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....
feminist writer.
Life account
She was the daughter of the PrussianKingdom of Prussia
The Kingdom of Prussia was a German kingdom from 1701 to 1918. Until the defeat of Germany in World War I, it comprised almost two-thirds of the area of the German Empire...
general Hans von Kretschmann. Her grandmother, Baroness Jenny von Sustedt, had been an illegitimate daughter of Jérôme Bonaparte
Jérôme Bonaparte
Jérôme-Napoléon Bonaparte, French Prince, King of Westphalia, 1st Prince of Montfort was the youngest brother of Napoleon, who made him king of Westphalia...
, Napoleon's brother who was King of Westphalia.
Lily Braun was briefly married to the professor of philosophy Georg von Gizycki, who was associated with the Social Democratic Party of Germany
Social Democratic Party of Germany
The Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany...
(SPD) without however being a member of the party. Together with him she was involved in the ethical movement, which sought to establish a system of morality in place of the traditional religions. After his death, she married in 1896 Heinrich Braun (1854–1927), who was a Social Democratic politician and a publicist.
Lily Braun joined the SPD at an early age and became one of the leaders of the German feminist movement
Feminist movement
The feminist movement refers to a series of campaigns for reforms on issues such as reproductive rights, domestic violence, maternity leave, equal pay, women's suffrage, sexual harassment and sexual violence...
. She belonged to the revisionist
Revisionism (Marxism)
Within the Marxist movement, the word revisionism is used to refer to various ideas, principles and theories that are based on a significant revision of fundamental Marxist premises. The term is most often used by those Marxists who believe that such revisions are unwarranted and represent a...
opposition within the SPD. Revisionists didn't believe in the theories of historical materialism
Historical materialism
Historical materialism is a methodological approach to the study of society, economics, and history, first articulated by Karl Marx as "the materialist conception of history". Historical materialism looks for the causes of developments and changes in human society in the means by which humans...
and believed in the gradual adaptation of society, rather than a socialist revolution.
Lily was heavily influenced by Friedrich Nietzsche
Friedrich Nietzsche
Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche was a 19th-century German philosopher, poet, composer and classical philologist...
and wanted the SPD to focus on the development of personality and individuality instead of levelling everybody. Women should have their own personality and should not have to be only regarded as (future) mothers and wives. She wanted economic freedom
Economic freedom
Economic freedom is a term used in economic and policy debates. As with freedom generally, there are various definitions, but no universally accepted concept of economic freedom...
for women and the abolition of legal marriage.
She died after a long illness on 8 August 1916.
Works
- Die Frauenfrage : ihre geschichtliche Entwicklung und ihre wirtschaftliche Seite (The Women's Question: historical development and economic aspect) (1901)
- Wahrheit oder Legende: Ein Wort zu den Kriegsbriefen des Generals von Kretschman (Truth or Legend: A word on the war letters of General von Kretschmar)
- Die Mutterschaftsversicherung : ein Beitrag zur Frage der Fürsorge für Schwangere und Wöchnerinnen (Maternity Insurance: an article on the question of care for pregnant women and those in childbed)
- Die Frauen und die Politik (Women and Politics)
- Memoiren einer Sozialistin - Lehrjahre (Memoirs of a Socialist - Apprenticeship years) (Novel)
- Memoiren einer Sozialistin - Kampfjahre (Memoirs of a Woman Socialist – Years of Struggle) (Novel)
- Mutterschaft : ein Sammelwerk für die Probleme des Weibes als Mutter (Motherhood: A collection of works on the problems of women as mothers)
- Die Liebesbriefe der Marquise (The Marchioness's Loveletters)
- Die Frauen und der Krieg (Women and the War)
- Im Schatten der Titanen : Erinnerungen an Baronin Jenny von Sustedt (In the Shadow of the Titans: Recollections of Baroness Jenny von Sustedt)(1908) - a biography of Braun's grandmother; the "Titans" of the title were Napoleon Bonaparte, who was von Sustedt's uncle, and Goethe, with whom she came in contact in her WeimarWeimarWeimar is a city in Germany famous for its cultural heritage. It is located in the federal state of Thuringia , north of the Thüringer Wald, east of Erfurt, and southwest of Halle and Leipzig. Its current population is approximately 65,000. The oldest record of the city dates from the year 899...
childhood. - Lebenssucher (Searchers for Life)
- Frauenarbeit und Beruf (Women's Work and Career)
External links
"Lily Braun song" by Chico Buarque and Edu Lobohttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4SUDEGAhXs