Anne Bruun facts for kids
Anne Kirstine Bruun (1853–1934) was an important Danish schoolteacher and a strong supporter of women's rights. She believed that male and female teachers should earn the same pay. In 1900, she made history by becoming the first woman to join the main committee of the Danish Union of Teachers. Anne Bruun was also a very active member of the Danish Women's Society. She often wrote for their magazine, Kvinden og Samfundet, and even edited it for a few years in the mid-1890s. She was one of the first to push for the Women's Society to directly fight for women's right to vote.
Contents
Her Early Life
Anne Kirstine Bruun was born on February 14, 1853, in Varde, Denmark. Her father, Hans Christian Bruun, was a tailor, and her mother was Kirstine Dorthea Terpager. When she was young, Anne worked as a housemaid for an older lady in Varde. There, she discovered magazines like Blade fra danske Kvinder and articles by Natalie Zahle in the newspaper Fædrelandet. These writings showed her that women could become teachers.
Even though her parents were against it, Anne took and passed the exam to become a teacher when she was 21. This exam was given by Beyer, Bohr og Femmer. She then took a special course from Ludvig Trier to learn how to give lectures. Anne was a Christian and was inspired by Rudolph Frimodt. In 1875, she became an assistant in a new church mission in Copenhagen. She led children's services at St. Stephen's Church.
Her Career as a Teacher
In 1874, Anne Bruun started working for the Copenhagen and Frederiksberg Municipal School Authority. She taught mainly in Copenhagen schools and finished her teaching career at Sundholm Skole. In 1896, she was a key person in starting the Foundation for the Education of Needy Children of Teachers.
From 1900 to 1915, Anne served on the main board of the Danish Teachers' Association. She was the very first woman to be a representative on this board. She played a big part in creating a new plan for what students would learn in the authority's schools.
Fighting for Women's Rights
Equal Pay for Teachers
In 1889, Anne Bruun became one of the first people to speak up for equal pay for men and women. She helped with new laws that, by 1908, made sure women teachers started with salaries similar to men's.
Work with the Danish Women's Society
Anne Bruun was also a very active member of the Danish Women's Society. In 1889, she joined the board of the main Women's Society. In 1890, she even led the organization when its chair, Kirstine Frederiksen, was sick. From 1895 to 1897, Anne edited the Society's magazine, Kvinden og Samfundet. She wrote many articles for it, both before and after her time as editor. In 1899, Anne Bruun was chosen to be the chair of the Society's Copenhagen branch. In 1907, she successfully helped women get accepted into the Technical Society's School.
For some time, Anne Bruun had supported women's right to vote, even though the Women's Society didn't officially support it at first. As the Society's view changed, she became a member of their election committee in 1904. She also joined the Christian Women Voters Association. In 1924, she was made an honorary member of the Women's Society's Copenhagen branch to recognize her important work.
Anne Bruun passed away in Kalundborg on July 11, 1934.
