U progu społecznej dyskusji o macierzyństwie świadomym na ziemiach polskich przełomu XIX i XX wieku
The beginnings of a societal discussion about conscious motherhood on the Polish territories at the turn of the 20th century

Summary/Abstract: Creating the best possible conditions for bringing up the young has been a topic long debated by educators and politicians. The turn of the 20th century, however, wasa time when the debate intensified and took on a new meaning. The discussion had social,economic, health, feminist, and patriotic aspects. Toward the end of the 19th century,the whole of Europe – including the Polish territories – saw a decline in the healthas well as the psychological and moral condition of young generations. This wasa cause for concern among European societies. A fear of degeneration was fueled bythe growing scientific research on heredity. All this was happening amidst changes relatedto the role of family as a building block of both the state and the nation. Hence,from a social capital perspective, children became very valuable.Such views were also shared by the Polish intelligentsia. Perceiving education asthe best solution to the aforementioned problems, the intelligentsia undertook a range of initiatives – launching press campaigns, and setting up publications and associations –that targeted parents as well as young women. These initiatives were intended to prepareyoung females – from a physical, psychological, and moral standpoint – to make conscious decisions about motherhood. Among the most debated issues were the healthand hygiene of young females, the changing model of marriage, birth control, as well asother ethical issues, such as the introduction of more rigorous moral guidelines for future husbands and wives. The discussion which started during this time was in many ways institutionalized during the Second Polish Republic.

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