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Alice SalomonGerman social activist, reformer
Date of Birth: 19.04.1872
Country:  USA |
Content:
Biography of Alice Salomon
Early Life and EducationAlice Salomon was born in Germany as the third of eight children. Coming from a wealthy family, it was not customary for girls to receive a serious education at that time. Despite her parents' reluctance, Alice had a strong desire to become a teacher. It was only in 1893 that she was able to take control of her life and pursue her dreams.
Activism and Reform
In 1900, Alice joined the Federation of German Women's Associations (Bund Deutscher Frauenvereine). She was later elected as the deputy chairperson, a position she held until 1920. The BDF focused on supporting those in need, particularly single and abandoned mothers. Alice recognized the significant issue of children being neglected or abandoned by their parents and worked towards finding solutions.
Academic Achievements
From 1902 to 1906, Alice studied economics at Friedrich-Wilhelms University in Berlin. Although she did not have formal education at that time, her published articles were sufficient for admission. In 1908, she received her doctorate with a dissertation on the unequal pay between men and women. The same year, Alice founded the Social Women's School (Soziale Frauenschule), which was later renamed in her honor as the Alice-Salomon College of Social Work and Social Pedagogy in Berlin.
Later Years and Legacy
In 1920, Alice left the BDF due to the rising anti-Semitic sentiments within the organization. Five years later, she established the German Academy for Social and Pedagogical Women's Work, where renowned scholars like Albert Einstein, Carl Gustav Jung, and Helene Weber gave lectures. During the late 1920s and early 1930s, the organization published 13 articles on the social and economic conditions in the country.
In 1933, when the Nazis came to power, Alice, being of Jewish descent, became a target. She was stripped of her titles and dismissed from all her positions. Eventually, she was called in for questioning by the Gestapo and later expelled from the country. Alice found a new home in New York, where she continued to help women in need despite losing her German citizenship and both of her doctorates. In 1944, she became a full-fledged American citizen and was appointed as the honorary president of the International Women's Federation and the International Association of Schools of Social Work in 1945.
Alice Salomon passed away in New York in 1948, leaving behind a legacy as a German social activist, reformer, and one of the pioneers of social work as an academic discipline. Her contributions were recognized through the naming of a university, park, and square in Berlin in her honor, as well as a postage stamp dedicated to her.
