A number of Danish and foreign socialists pioneered feminism within the international labor movement in the early 20th century. Here you can see an overview of some of those who put the women’s struggle on the agenda in the labor movement.

Nina Bang (1866 – 1928)

Minister, historian. NB received a master’s degree in history in 1894. From 1898 she worked as a journalist for the Social Democrat newspaper. In the early years, she was particularly interested in working women’s
women’s cause, but throughout her life she believed that the class struggle came before the gender struggle. NB joined the Executive Committee of the Social Democratic Party in 1903 and from then on belonged to the party’s inner circle. From 1913-1917, NB was elected to the Civic Representation, and from 1918 she was elected to the Parliament. She became Denmark’s first female minister in Stauning’s government 1924-1926.

See Nina Bang’sarchive

Andrea Brochmann (1868-1954)

Trade union chairman, politician. AB was trained as a men’s tailor and was chairman of the Women’s Tailors’ Union 1897-1909.
In addition to her union work, AB was involved in Social Democratic politics throughout her life, where she worked especially for women’s interests. She helped found the Social Democratic Women’s Association in 1908 and was its chairman from 1912-1935. She represented the Social Democratic Party in the Copenhagen City Council from 1917-1943 and sat in the Danish Parliament from 1926-32 and 1933-1940. She was also a member of the joint board and executive committee of the Danish Women’s Society 1922-1932.

Helene Berg (1869- 1955)

Women’s rights activist. HB was strongly socially engaged and concerned with the fight for women’s equality. She was active in the Danish Women’s Society and later became a member of the Social Democratic Party. Around 1910, she worked as a journalist for the Social Democrat newspaper for a few years.

Marie Christensen (1871- 1945)

Union president and politician. MC founded the Copenhagen Service Girls’ Association in 1899 and worked hard to organize domestic assistants and professionalize their work. In 1906, she founded the House Assistants’ Vocational School. From 1904-1927, she was chairman of the Association of Domestic Assistants. She was also editor of the union’s trade magazine for many years. From the early 1900s, MC fought for women’s and servants’ right to vote and was herself elected to the City Council from 1917-1921. In 1935, she initiated the establishment of the House Assistants’ Building Association and retirement home.

See the archive for Hussassistenternes Byggeforening.

Henriette Crone (1874 – 1933)

Trade union chairman, politician. HC was a printing worker, but in 1906 she became chairman of the Female Printing Workers’ Union. She held this position until her death in 1933. HC was politically active for the Social Democratic Party. She was a member of the Citizen Representation 1909-1913, and of the County Parliament from 1920-1933. HC represented the labour movement in several international women’s organizations: from 1925 she was a member of the International Federation of Trade Unions Women’s Committee, from 1925 of the Women’s Committee of the Socialist Workers’ International, and from 1932 a member of the ILO Women’s Advisory Committee.

See Henriette Crone’sarchive.

Anna Jensen (1867- 1961)

Trade union leader and politician. AJ was a seamstress and in 1909 she became a member of the board of the Women Men’s Tailors’ Union, where she worked hard to organize the seamstresses. In 1915, she became vice chairman and from 1923-1930 chairman of the union. She was also a member of the main board of the Danish Tailors’ Union from 1919-1941. AJ was a member of the City Council for the Social Democrats from 1913-1937.

Anna Johansen (1867- 1936)

Trade union chairman and politician. AJ was a seamstress and in 1899 became a member of the board of De kvindelige Herreskrædderes fagforening and was vice president from 1899-1901. She was then chairman of the union from 1909-23, and again from 1930-1936. She was a member of the city council from 1909-1936.

Helga Larsen (1884-1947)

Trade union chairman, politician. HL was a brewery worker. She joined the board of the female brewery workers’ union in 1903. From 1908-1927 she was chairman of the union. HL was politically active in the Social Democratic Party and was a member of the City Council from 1913-1947. HL was the first Social Democratic woman to be elected to the Danish Parliament in 1918 and served until 1937. She was also the head of the Domestic Violence Service in Copenhagen from 1934.

See the archive of the Women Brewery Workers’ Union.

Elisabeth Mac Jørgensen (1886- 1919)

Trade union and political activist. EMJ worked as an office assistant. She was active in HK and in 1909-1911 became vice-president of HK, Copenhagen branch. She was active in the Socialist Youth League, but joined the Social Democratic Party in 1908. She helped found the Social Democratic Women’s Association in 1908 and became its first president. In 1910, together with Nina Bang, she was the main organizer of the International Socialist Women’s Congress in Copenhagen. After 1912 she retired from political work.

See the archive of the Social Democratic Women’s Association.

Hildura Mouritsen

Print shop worker. HM joined the board of De kvindelige trykkeriarbejdere in 1903 and became vice president in 1906. She was active in the Social Democratic Party’s 3rd district in Copenhagen and was the association’s representative at the International Women’s Congress in 1910.

See the archive for De kvindelige Trykkeriarbejdere.

Camilla Nielsen (1856- 1932)

Philanthropist, politician. CN was elected to the board of Frederiksbergs Hjælpekasse in 1908. In 1910, she became head of the Association of Relief Funds in Denmark from 1917-1931. She continued her social work as head of Frederiksberg Folkekøkken. She developed her commitment to women’s politics by sitting on the board of the Social Democratic Women’s Association, which led to her becoming a much-used speaker. 1917-1932 she represented the Social Democratic Party in Frederiksberg Municipal Council.

Emma Petersen

Attended the Second International Socialist Women’s Congress in Copenhagen in 1910 as a representative of the Konfektionssyerskernes fagforening af 1909.

See the archive for the Garment Seamstresses’ Union of 1909.

Sofie Rasmussen 1882-

Union president and politician. Around 1900, SR helped to found a trade union for match workers in Randers. The union became part of the Women Workers’ Union when it was founded in 1901. She was very active in the union and was elected to the main board of KAD in 1906. In 1910, she became the federal chairman of the Women Workers’ Union and remained in this position until 1923. SR was the editor of Kvindernes Fagblad from 1923. SR was also elected to the city council in 1913.

See archives from the Women’s Labor Union during SR’s time as chairman.

Kata Dalström (1858-1923)

Traveled around Sweden and agitated for workers to join the Social Democratic Party. Attended the 1910 congress in Copenhagen. She disagreed with the party’s cautious policy and joined the Swedish Communist Party in 1917.

Alexandra Kollontaj (1872- 1952)

Russian politician, feminist and writer. AK became active in the Russian Social Democratic Party from 1899, but sided with the Bolsheviks in the revolution. She was People’s Commissar for Social Affairs 1917-1918. She was a diplomat in Norway and Sweden for a number of years. Throughout her life, AK was strongly committed to the conditions of working women, women’s liberation and equality in society.

Margaret MacDonald

Leading member of the English Women’s League and champion of women’s suffrage within the Labor Party.

Adelheid Popp (1869-1939)

Austrian social democratic politician. AP was a prominent leader in building the trade union and social democratic women’s movement in Austria and was editor of the movement’s magazine Arbeiterinnenzeitung from 1892-1904. She was also active in building the international socialist women’s movement. From 1919-1934, AP was a member of the Austrian Parliament.

May Wood-Simons

Delegate for the American Social Democratic Party at the 1910 Congress.

Clara Zetkin (1857- 1933)

German socialist politician and women’s organizer. CZ helped develop the German Social Democratic Party both politically and theoretically. She participated in the II International Founding Congress in 1889. CZ was a pioneer in the organization of German working women and developed important contributions to the Marxist theory of working women’s emancipation. She founded and edited the social democratic women’s journal Die Gleichheit from 1891-1917. She also initiated the socialist women’s congresses, where Die Gleichheit became an important link for the international socialist women’s movement. CZ joined the German Communist Party in 1919 and sat in the Reichstag for the party from 1920-1933. From 1921-1933, she was a member of the III International’s executive committee and head of the International’s women’s secretariat.

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