Maria Tusch:

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Astrid Malle, Constance Mochar and Achim Zechner (from right) at the book presentation.(Bild: StadtKommunikation)

Maria Tusch ended her speeches with this appeal. Read more about this extraordinary woman, who is regarded as a role model, in the new book.

The Women's Office of the City of Klagenfurt, led by Astrid Malle, has wanted to document the great achievements of women for years. In Alexandra Schmidt, she was able to find a historian who searched archives for traces of remarkable women, which has been available to read in the book "Klagenfurterinne(r)n" since 2021. This gave rise to the idea of the city's Women's Prize, which was to be named after a true pioneer and fighter for women's rights: it quickly became clear that it could only be Maria Tusch.

"Maria Tusch. From tobacco worker to Carinthia's first female national councillor", by Alexandra Schmidt, Verlag Heyn, 192 pages, 34 euros; available in bookshops.(Bild: Verlag Heyn)

Born into poor circumstances in 1868, Maria had to drop out of elementary school to work on a farm, then became a tobacco worker in the Klagenfurt factory, where female workers had no rights - but Maria Tusch fought for social improvements. In 1919, she became the first female representative in Carinthia to be elected to the National Assembly.

Fighting pamphlet "Den Frauen ihr Recht" ("Women have their rights") for Women's Day 1913.(Bild: VGA)

Making strong women visible
Astrid Malle wanted the life of this fearless woman, who stood up for important causes, to be documented in a book. A unanimous decision by the city senate followed, author Alexandra Schmidt went to the archives and wrote 192 pages that tell the story of Maria Tusch, but also of her generation, the hard, unfair life, the struggle and the improvements. "Without her efforts, we would probably still not have many rights today. It took a long time before a self-determined life was possible for women," recalls Constance Mochar, City Councillor for Women, at the book presentation in the Heyn bookshop. "With an editor and graphic designer, this book project was strongly in the hands of women," says publisher Achim Zechner happily.

Maria Tusch should also be visible in the city: An application for a memorial has been on the city council table for some time, and a street in Hörtendorf has been named after her - as has one in Vienna. Maria Tusch was honored posthumously: since 2019, the City of Klagenfurt has awarded the Women's Prize named after her. Today, Friday, the fifth Women's Prize will be awarded to educational scientist Susanne Dermutz. Ute Liepold, a woman who has already been honored with the Maria Tusch Prize for her feminist, women's political and gender equality work, will give the laudatory speech at the "Künstler:innenhaus Klagenfurt".