Abstract:
This research work sketches the history of the professional networks, which women artists founded between 1867 and 1933. It gives an overview of local and national societies in Germany. These organisations have had multifunctional tasks: They represented the political, economical, social and artistical interests of female painters, sculptors, draughts- and craftwomen. The network history is presented on the one side by examples of several local organisations such as the 'Künstlerinnenverein München'. On the other side by a consideration of the three national federations in germany: the conservative 'Bund deutscher und österreichischer Künstlerinnenvereine' (founded in 1908), the more progressive 'Frauenkunstverband' (founded in 1913) and the 'GEDOK' ('Gemeinschaft Deutscher und Österreichischer Künstlerinnenvereine aller Kunstgattungen', founded in 1926/27). The important members Eugenie Kaufmann, Dora Horn-Zippelius, Käthe Kollwitz, Rosa Schapire, Ida Dehmel and Elsa Bruckmann are brought into the foreground.
The various corporations are arranged in three periods: The early foundations based on local areas arose as a result of the women�s movement. In connection with noble and upper middle-class circles self-helping activities were organised in order to improve the financial und social situation as well as the professional training of women artists. These women artists searched particulary for the recognitation of female art. In the years before the First World War, when the artists were in mutual competition and in financial difficulties, the representation of female interests against the gouvernment, economy and male artists became important. The women faught for equal rights, especially in educational affairs. Most of the foundations were in connection with women clubs. The third period began after 1924 and these societies managed female art and culture of all artistic fields.