Ruth Bré facts for kids
Elisabeth Bonnes (also known as Bouness) was a German writer and journalist. She is best known by her pen name, Ruth Bré. She was born in 1862 and passed away on December 7, 1911, in Herischdorf (which is now Jelenia Góra). Ruth Bré was a strong supporter of women's rights and believed in a society where mothers had a central role. She was also a playwright and openly criticized the idea of a society ruled only by men. Ruth Bré started an organization called the Bund für Mutterschutz, which means "Society for the Protection of Mothers." This group worked to make things better for women in laws, money matters, and daily life.
Her Early Life
Ruth Bré was born at a time when her parents were not married. Their names were kept private. She had at least one brother. Ruth Bré worked as a teacher. She also took part in public discussions about how to educate children. She wrote plays that were performed for people to see.
The name Ruth Bré was a pseudonym, which is a fake name used by a writer. People think the name Bré comes from the first letters of her full name, Elisabeth-Rothmund-Bonnes, spelled backward. Rothmund was the name of her birth mother. She first wrote under the name Elisabeth Bouness. Later, when she wrote about women's rights, she used the name Ruth Bré.
Ruth Bré's grave was on Cavalier-Berg in Herischdorf. Today, her grave is no longer there.
Fighting for Women and Mothers
After she stopped working as a teacher, Ruth Bré became very active in the women's movement in Germany. She was part of the group that wanted big changes. From then on, she wrote many papers about the rights of mothers. She also wrote a novel and articles. She even tried being the editor of a newspaper. People were impressed by her powerful speeches.
Ruth Bré spent her life trying to help single mothers and their children. In her writings, she spoke out against the difficulties mothers faced in a society run by men. She famously said, "Women, give birth not to others...but to yourselves!" She meant that women should be independent and strong. She also said, "A woman can exist without the state, but not the state without the woman."
Ruth Bré fought against rules that made married female teachers lose their jobs. This rule was called the Lehrerinnenzölibat, meaning female teachers had to stay single. She also supported women's right to choose if and when they wanted to become mothers. Ruth Bré believed that being a mother was not the only way for a woman to be healthy and happy. She wanted to bring back the idea of matrilineality. This is a system where family lines and power are traced through the mother. Her writings showed great respect for mothers, both in body and spirit.
On November 12, 1904, Ruth Bré started the Bund für Mutterschutz in Leipzig. This was the "Society for the Protection of Mothers." Important people like reformer Friedrich Landmann and writer Heinrich Meyer signed the founding document. The Bund für Mutterschutz quickly became popular. Many well-known people supported it. However, soon after, there were disagreements about how the group should be run. Ruth Bré lost her position to Helene Stöcker. Bré and her friends said that Stöcker had taken Bré's ideas.
Ruth Bré also started at least one special community for mothers. These communities were based on the idea of societies where mothers held the main power.
Her Writings
- Elisabeth Bouneß: Die Frau an der Jahrhundertwende. Breslau 1900. (A play about women at the turn of the century).
- Elisabeth Bouness: Kaiserworte, Fürsorgegesetz und Lehrerschaft. Leipzig 1903. (Thoughts on the Emperor's words, welfare laws, and teachers).
- Ruth Bré: Keine Alimentationsklage mehr! Schutz den Müttern!. Leipzig 1905. (No more child support lawsuits! Protect mothers!).
- Ruth Bré: Ecce Mater! (Siehe eine Mutter!). Leipzig 1905. (A novel titled "Behold a Mother!").
- Ruth Bré: "Geboren am Weihnachtsabend". In: Die Neue Generation, Vol. 5, No. 2/1909, pp. 81–85. (An article titled "Born on Christmas Eve").
- Ruth Bré: "Zunächst andere Ehegesetze!" In: Hedwig Dohm et al., Berlin 1911, pp. 177–191. (An article titled "First, Different Marriage Laws!").
