High Commissioner for Germany. Women's Affairs Branch Records, 1949-1985
General International Standard for Archival Description
Sophia Smith Collection Smith CollegeNorthampton, MA
Finding aid encoded using Perl scripts and edited in XMetal 2.0. Encoded by Brook Hopkins. 2003-06-05
Encoded Archival Description
Encoded Archival Description (EAD) Version 2002
collection
High Commissioner for Germany. Women's Affairs Branch Records
Creation of High Commissioner for Germany. Women's Affairs Branch Records
Time of Creation of High Commissioner for Germany. Women's Affairs Branch Records
United States. Office of High Commissioner for Germany. Women's Affairs Branch
Biographical History for: High Commissioner for Germany. Women's Affairs Branch Records
Historical Note In 1949, the H.I.C.O.G. sent Betsy Knapp of the League of Women Voters as their Women's Affairs Specialist to Germany to assist in organizing travel to the U.S. for German women. In addition, her responsibility included targeting women's organizations for Marshall Plan funding. With Knapp as their American consultant, the Buero fuer Frauenfragen was created in 1949-50 under the directorship of Antje Lemke-Bultmann. The funding for the first year (1951) came predominantly from the U.S. By the end of 1952, the U.S. was pressing the organization to seek its funding in Germany. Ursula Gaertner, a delegate from the German government, was able to secure resources for that year. At the end of 1952, the organization realized that in order to increase their constituency, they needed to broaden their platform, and the Buero fuer Staatsbuergerliche Frauenarbeit was created in early 1953. Furthermore, they combined their efforts with the Council of Hessian Women's Organizations to counsel approximately 16 women's organizations. Their purpose was to span from voter registration to foreign affairs, to the promotion of women in politics and public affairs. Erna Schlepper replaced Antje Lemke-Bultmann as the director of the Buero in 1954.
Scope and Contents of the Collection These are records of the Women's Affairs Specialist of the H.I.C.O.G. and affiliated women's organizations in the Federal Republic of Germany. The collection has printed materials and official correspondence of the H.I.C.O.G.'s National Office, the Women's Affairs Branch, the Council of Hessian Women's Organizations, and the Buero fuer Staatsbuergerliche Frauenarbeit of the Regional Branch in Hessen. The records document these organizations' efforts to promote women's participation in the public sphere of postwar Germany. There are scattered reports for each of the organizations from 1949 to 1985.
Women--Germany (West)--History--Sources
lcsh
Women--International cooperation--History--20th century--Sources
lcnaf
series
SERIES I NATIONAL OFFICE
U.S Specialist Reports, 1950-52
Visiting Experts Series Reports, 1951-52
International Women's Conference, Bad Reichenall, F.R.G., 1950
International Young Women's Conference, Hindelang, F.R.G., 1951
Women in West Germany, 1952
SERIES II REGIONAL BRANCH (HESSEN)
Women's Affairs Branch (Hessen)
Monthly Reports, 1949-52
Summaries and evaluations, 1951-72
"Frau in der Gemeinde," Haus Schwalbach (course material), 1951-58
Domestic law in the F.R.G.: publications, 1952
Betsy Knapp: correspondence, 1952
Betsy Knapp: correspondence about her visit to the Federal Republic of Germany, 1956
Hetty Schmitt-Maas: clippings, obituary, 1982-83
Council of Hessian Women's Organizations
Reports, pamphlets, 1951-56
Buero fuer Staatsbuergerliche Frauenarbeit
Reports: agendas, budget, summaries, 1950-75
Thirty-year anniversary, 1982
Erna Schlepper: clippings, obituary, 1982-85
Clippings, 1951-54
Publications
Information fuer die Frau, 1951-73
Newsletter by Erna Schlepper, 1957-62
Information bulletins, 1951, n.d.
Lecture series: schedule, 1951
National election material, 1952-60
Booklets, 1951-56
Posters, 1952