Alice Salomon
... her work
Alice Salomon was one of the most unique social advocates in the beginning of the 20th century and one of the most prominent figures in the German and international women’s movement. She worked in cooperation with other social reformers, mostly from the USA and Great Britain, including Jane Adadams. She helped create and develop modern social work practice by making important contributions to its theoretical and pedagogical foundations.
In 1872 Alice Salomon was born in Berlin as the daughter of an assimilated Jewisch middle-class family. She influenced initiatives and brought enlightment and innovation to many professional fields. She was a:
- Teacher and School Director who shaped social service education with the „Social School for Women“, founded in 1908. The essentials from her training are still valid today.
- Publisher whose numerous articles had lasting effects on social reforms.
- Scientist who was one of the first women in Germany to earn a doctorate in national economy in 1906. She initiated and conducted important practice oriented research, especially in the field of family research. She created the „German Academy for Social and Educational Work for Women“ in 1925 for this purpose.
- Social reformer who was active in fighting for the general rights of women as well as the specific rights of female workers and middle-class women.
- Lecturer, at women’s meetings, professional conferences and international congresses, who was active in promoting social engagement, social justice, and the participation of women in public life.
In 1932 Alice Salomon was honored with the Prussion State’s Medal, and received an honorary doctorate from the Medical Faculty of the Berlin University for her „exeptional contributions to the area of public welfare“. In 1933, Alice Salomon lost her public offices and was no longer allowed to publish in Germany. She was forced by the Gestapo to emigrate in 1937. In 1939 she was stripped of her German citizenship. Alice Salomon died in New York in 1948.
Alice Salomon and her work have experienced a renewed recognition. A three volume set of her writings is published with support from the Alice Salomon University of Applied Sciences.
Alice Salomon ...
