Alice Zimmern facts for kids
Alice Louisa Theodora Zimmern (born September 22, 1855 – died March 22, 1939) was an English writer, translator, and a supporter of women's right to vote, known as a suffragist. Her books were very important in discussions about how girls and women should be educated and what rights they should have.
Early Life and School
Alice Zimmern was born in Nottingham, England. She was the youngest of three daughters. Her father, Hermann Theodore Zimmern, was a lace merchant who had moved from Germany.
Alice worked with her older sister, Helen Zimmern, on two books. These books contained translated parts of European novels.
Alice went to a private school first. Then she studied at Bedford College, London. In 1881, she went to Girton College, Cambridge. There, she studied Classics, which means ancient Greek and Roman history, language, and literature.
At Girton, Alice and a friend named Janet Case started a group for classical plays. In 1883, they put on a play called Elektra. This was special because it was usually only men who acted in Greek plays at the college. Alice finished her studies at Girton in 1885 with high honors. From 1888 to 1894, she taught Classics at schools for girls in England.
Her Work and Books
While teaching, Alice Zimmern also wrote and translated many books. In 1887, she made a school version of the Meditations by Marcus Aurelius, an ancient Roman emperor. She also translated books about the daily life of ancient Greeks and a philosopher named Porphyry.
Alice later wrote books for younger readers about ancient Greece and Rome. These included Greek History for Young Readers (1895), Old Tales from Greece (1897), and Old Tales from Rome (1906). These books were very popular and were printed many times.
In 1893, Alice and four other women received special scholarships. These were from the Gilchrist Educational Trust. They used the money to travel to the United States. Their goal was to study how schools worked there.
After her trip, Alice wrote a book called Methods of Education in America (1894). She liked how American students spoke clearly and enjoyed classic English books. However, she thought their written work and textbooks were not very good. She also felt that the way American history was taught was too focused on patriotism.
Alice stopped teaching in schools in 1894. But she continued to teach Classics to private students. She also wrote articles for journals about education and women's schooling.
Her book Women's Suffrage in Many Lands (1909) came out around the time of a big meeting for women's voting rights. This book and another one, The Renaissance of Girls' Education (1898), were very important. They helped shape the discussions about women's education and rights during her time. Alice believed that giving women the right to vote was connected to treating them fairly. She also noted that the strong actions of British suffragettes helped make women's right to vote a major topic.
Alice Zimmern did much of her research at the British Museum Reading Room. There, she met other women who supported women's rights and social change. She also wrote other books, including Demand and Achievement. The International Women's Suffrage Movement (1912). She translated more books as well, like Fourteen Years a Jesuit (1911). She also wrote Gods and Heroes of the North (1907).
In her later years, Alice lived in Hampstead, London. She could not travel much, but she stayed interested in women's rights and working for peace. She often had visitors from other countries. Her last work was a translation of The Origins of the War (1917).
Alice Zimmern never married. She passed away at her home in London on March 22, 1939. She was buried a few days later. She left money to Girton College to create the Alice Zimmern Memorial Prize in Classics.
Images for kids
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Alice Zimmern Plaque in London
