Helene Lange -- Feminism and Flavors of Germany

 We know the titans of the women's movement in history -- Susan B Anthony, Gloria Steinem, Betty Frieden.  But in fact, the struggle for gender equality goes much further back in time and certainly beyond the borders of the United States. Malala Yousafzai in Pakistan comes to mind, and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie in Nigeria. 

On April 9, 1848, Helene Lange was born in Oldenburg, Lower Saxony, Germany. She became "a leading voice in her country and beyond, for women's access to higher education and professional careers." In 1890, Lange founded the Allgemeiner Deutscher Leherinnenverien, an association of German female teachers who fought to improve their work environment and break the glass ceiling for higher positions. 

Three years before that, she wrote the "Yellow Brochure," submitted to the Prussian Ministry of Education.  This document led to reforms in secondary education for women. 

Although education was her central focus, she sought to create a society that would empower women in all areas.

There are many like Lange who are not as well-known today as they should be. 

On her birthday, I read a little about the cuisine of her native region in what is today Germany. I was reminded that no country is utterly homogenous -- even small nations have subcultures, ethnic minorities, and of course differences in their favorite foods. Lange's Oldenburg is a center for traditional Saxon cuisine. The locals prefer hot and strong coffee, chocolate, traditional pastries and hearty meat offerings, such as roast goose and rabbit, as well as a variety of mushroom dishes. 

Here's a link to a traditional Oldenburg rye bread recipe that I will make sometime soon:

Oldenburg Rye/Oldenburger Landbrot (Germany) - THE RYE BAKER


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