Aurore Pihl facts for kids
Aurora (Aurore) Marie Pihl (1850–1938) was an important Swedish teacher and a strong supporter of women's right to vote. She is famous for starting a girls' school in Norrköping in 1880. She also worked hard to help women get the right to vote. In 1903, she helped create the Norrköping Women's Suffrage Association. She was the second-in-command there until 1910. She also led the Norra flickläroverket school, becoming its only principal until she retired in 1916.
Aurore Pihl's Early Life and Schooling
Aurore Pihl was born on September 24, 1850. Her birthplace was Hällestad, in south-eastern Sweden. Her father, Per Johan Pihl, was a crown bailiff. Her mother was Aurora Ulrika Kristina André.
Aurore went to school in Askersund until she was 13. She lived with her aunt during this time. She wanted to become a teacher. So, she studied privately until 1877. Then, she joined the Royal Seminary in Stockholm. This was a special college for women who wanted to be teachers. She finished her studies and became a certified teacher in 1880.
Aurore Pihl's Career and Impact
After becoming a teacher, Aurore Pihl went back to Östergötland. There, she teamed up with another student, Gerda von Friesen. Together, they started a girls' school. It was called Norrköpings nya läroverk för flickor. Most people knew it as Pilhska skolan, or the Pihl School.
The school was in a busy part of the city. It began small, with only 12 students. But it quickly grew bigger. After two years, they moved to a larger building. Soon, it became known as one of the best private schools in Sweden.
Besides teaching, Aurore Pihl was very active in the women's rights movement. She became a leader in the local women's suffrage group. This group worked to get women the right to vote. She fought for important changes. She wanted married women to be able to work. She also wanted women to work in jobs usually done by men.
Aurore Pihl also pushed for equal pay. She believed men and women should earn the same money. This was if they did the same work equally well. She said, "Same pay for the same work, if it is performed equally well and with the same competency by men and women."
From 1890 until 1916, Aurore Pihl was the principal of the Norrköpings nya läroverk för flickor. She also stayed as the deputy chair of the women's association until 1910.
Aurore Pihl passed away on April 26, 1938. She died in Strålsnäs, Boxholm.
