RESEARCH RESOURCES ON THE POSITION OF WOMEN IN KOŠICE 1918 – 1938
RESEARCH RESOURCES ON THE POSITION OF WOMEN IN KOŠICE 1918 – 1938

Summary/Abstract: The Constitutional Charter of the Czechoslovak Republic of 1920 enshrined the principle of gender equality. Nevertheless, several legal provisions that were contrary to this principle remained in force. The social emancipation of women, however, had better conditions in the newly created state than it was in the former Austria-Hungary empire. Obstacles to women's access to higher education had been at least formally removed, just as women had been allowed to pursue occupations filled exclusively by men previously. From the 19th century, women had been involved in public life through activities in clubs, and it was the only possibility for them to move from the private sphere (household and family circles) to the public sphere, which was primarily intended for men. Compared to the latter decades of the 19th century, the emergence of a democratic republic brought about a large boom in the activity of associations, which also affected the female part of the population. Many women were involved not only in the activities of genuinely women's associations, but also in activities in gender-mixed associations, such as the branches of the Czechoslovak Red Cross or the Masaryk League against Tuberculosis, or other charitable associations. The life of associations was more differentiated, which was reflected not only at national level, but also on a regional scale. The aim of the paper is to present the various types of sources by means of which it is possible to investigate the position of women in the city of Košice between 1918 – 1938; namely the possibilities of higher (in today's secondary school) education of girls and women, the employment of women in the field of education and health, and the involvement of women in the public sphere by working in the various associations that existed in the city. These three areas are among the basic indicators of the position of women in society, since education and associations were both a prerequisite and a means of female emancipation. Higher education enabled women to do work for which a certain qualification was needed. Since in the past women have been defined by the private sphere, which was represented by the family and household, and the related care and work, women naturally found their place in the professional sphere, especially in education and health, as teachers, midwives, nurses and later also as doctors. Košice, as an administrative, cultural and educational centre, provided women (not only) in the interwar period with various opportunities in the field of education, occupation and participation in public life through activities in associations, which had a tradition in the city since the first half of the 19th century. In spite of this, the women question in Košice has not been sufficiently elaborated on yet. It only appears sporadically in the scientific literature, which is one of the reasons for choosing this research topic. The research was carried out in archives and libraries located in Košice, Bratislava and Prague. The research and collection of sources was carried out during the processing of this issue, followed by their critical evaluation. Specific examples and findings were presented in the description of individual types of sources. The sources presented include, in particular, archive sources (catalogues, class books, employee lists as well as statutes, activity reports and various applications of associations), annual reports of secondary schools and courses organized for girls and women, statistics, periodicals, legal standards, manuals for girls and women, reports on the activities and yearbooks, jubilee books, almanacs, city directories and photographs. Official statistical results from the census, especially from 1921 and 1930, allow for a comparison between the population sizes of both sexes, and comparative data is also used from 1910 statistics. Statistical results also allows for the monitoring the issues of female employment or the state of education. When examining the position of women, it is also necessary to follow the legal norms that defined women’s place in the social hierarchy. Important sources are archival documents which in relation to education were mainly official books (catalogues, protocols and registers), on the basis of which it is possible to monitor the gender, national, religious and social composition of students and the development of the number of girls at individual types of schools and courses studied; and also records (minutes, staff matters, teacher lists, timetables, forms and regulations) which were retained from Košice secondary schools and courses for girls and women. In addition, the archives store files of associations, which consist of lists and registrations of associations, statutes, applications, activity reports and accounts. These documents provide information on the possibilities and, in part, the extent to which women are actually involved in society. The lack of information on the existence, functioning and type of school, the number and structure of students, the composition of the teaching staff, as well as opinions on the education of girls and women complete the annual reports of secondary schools, courses and the city music school. An important source for the influence of women on society and public attitude towards women and their activities is the contemporary periodical press. In this context, it is necessary to examine the focus of articles on women and their frequency in individual regional and national periodicals. The overall picture of the position of women helps to complete the sources of private character, which include diaries, memoirs and private correspondence. However, with this type of source, there are often problems with access to them and the possibility of studying them (as they are mostly found in private archives) or with their non-preservation. Information on the contemporary perception of women and their role within society is provided by guides on raising girls or choosing the right career for a woman. Other sources that can be used to investigate women's issues include publications capturing major events in Košice, e.g. jubilee books, as well as almanacs and city directories, in which existing schools, courses, associations, and lists of occupants of certain occupations (midwives or doctors) were usually recorded. An essential but rarely used type of source is photography. In researching the position of women in interwar Košice it is therefore necessary to work with materials of several types in order to give the fullest possible picture of the opportunities that women acquired in the newly established democratic state and to what extent women actually realized these opportunities. Although there are various types of sources related to the education of girls and women, their employment or activities in societies, we find that their use is very limited in many cases. In addition to problems with the wide dispersal of sources, coupled with their non-preservation, with the city of Košice there is also a problem related to the linguistic diversity of the examined written sources which most often occur in Slovak, Czech, Hungarian and German languages, but also in English, French or Russian.

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