Bertha Suttner Austrian writer and pacifist, Nobel Peace Prize, 1905 Date of Birth: 09.06.1843 Country: Austria

Biography of Bertha von Suttner

Bertha von Suttner, an Austrian writer and pacifist, was born Bertha Sophie Felicitas Kinsky von Wchinitz und Tettau in Prague, which was then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. She was born into a family of Austrian Count Franz Joseph Kinsky von Wchinitz und Tettau, a field marshal who passed away shortly before her birth, and his wife Sophie Wilhelmine Kinsky von Kern, the daughter of a cavalry officer. Bertha spent her childhood in various European cities such as Paris, Venice, and Baden-Baden, as her mother spent most of her time and money on trips to resorts and gambling in casinos. Due to her upbringing, Bertha became fluent in English, French, and Italian and had the opportunity to meet many famous people.

At the age of 30, Bertha's mother had squandered the family fortune. After an unsuccessful attempt to become a professional singer, Bertha became a governess for the four daughters of the Viennese Zuttner family. She soon fell in love with one of the three Zuttner sons, Baron Arthur Gundaccar von Suttner. However, the financial situation of the Zuttner family was not ideal, and their parents hoped to improve it by marrying off Arthur. Faced with opposition from the Zuttner family, Bertha moved to Paris in 1876 and became an economist and personal secretary for Alfred Nobel. But a few days later, Nobel left for Sweden on business, and Bertha, longing for her homeland and her beloved, returned to Vienna, where she secretly married Arthur.

The Suttners spent the next nine years in Russia, in the Caucasus region. During this time, Bertha made friends, taught language and music lessons, and became interested in contemporary European culture and politics. She and Arthur came to the belief that progress for humanity was impossible without common sense and education. When the war between Russia and Turkey broke out in 1877, Arthur began writing reports on the military actions for Viennese periodicals. Inspired by her husband's articles, Bertha also took up writing. She published stories, essays, and articles, and co-authored four novels with Arthur in a naturalistic style influenced by Emile Zola.

After returning to Vienna in 1885, the Suttners continued to express their political and social views through artistic works. Bertha's novels such as "Ein schlechter Mensch" (1885) addressed freethinking, while "Daniela Dormes" (1886) explored Darwinism and anti-Semitism. "High Life" (1886) delved into questions of democracy and progress, while "Vordem Gewitter" (1894) focused on socialist ideas. In "Inventarium einer Seele" (1883), Bertha discussed social progress, advocating for internationalism and peace. During this time, the Suttners lived in Paris from 1886 to 1887, where Bertha reconnected with Alfred Nobel and was introduced to leading political and literary figures of the time. The militaristic sentiments in Paris, fueled by a desire for revenge after France's defeat in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-1871, shocked the Suttners. They became interested in the work of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, an organization based in London that aimed to mobilize public support for an international court to peacefully resolve international conflicts.

In 1889, Bertha wrote "Das Maschinenzeitalter" ("The Machine Age"), criticizing nationalism and militarism. Her book "Die Waffen nieder" ("Lay Down Your Arms"), published in 1889, told the story of a young woman whose life was shattered by European wars in the 1860s. The novel not only presented pacifist arguments but also vividly depicted the horrors of war. It gained significant attention and was reprinted in newspapers, translated into multiple languages, and highly praised by Leo Tolstoy. "Die Waffen nieder" became a symbol of political steadfastness and had a profound impact similar to Harriet Beecher Stowe's "Uncle Tom's Cabin."

The popularity of her novel allowed Bertha to establish connections with peace activists in Europe. In 1891, she attended the first congress of peace forces organized by the Inter-Parliamentary Union in Rome. That same year, she founded the Austrian Peace Society, the country's first pacifist organization. In 1892, Bertha became a founding member of the Berne Bureau, an organization aimed at coordinating the activities of pacifist groups across Europe. For the next 20 years, she served as its vice president. During the late 19th century, a period marked by a surge in militarism, Bertha participated in numerous conferences of peace forces, often being the sole female delegate. At the Peace Conference in The Hague in 1899, she opened a salon that was frequented by distinguished delegates from 26 participating countries. Bertha wrote articles, edited a pacifist journal, and gave lectures.

At a time when women had limited participation in public life, Bertha von Suttner, an active advocate for peace, earned widespread respect, including from Alfred Nobel. She corresponded with Nobel, informing him about the activities of pacifist organizations and urging him to donate funds to peace efforts. After Arthur's death in 1902, Bertha continued her active pacifist work. She embarked on lecture tours in the United States and Germany, met with President Theodore Roosevelt, and contributed to the establishment of the Anglo-German Friendship Committee.

In 1905, Bertha von Suttner was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, which she shared with Frédéric Passy. She co-led the peace movement in European countries with Passy. In her Nobel lecture, Bertha spoke about the barbarism of war, the inevitability of moral degradation, and the need for an international court of arbitration to maintain peace on earth. Just a month and a half before the outbreak of World War I, Bertha von Suttner passed away in June 1914, having refused surgery for a malignant tumor. She was honored as the honorary president of the International Peace Bureau in Berne and elected as a member of the advisory council of the Carnegie Peace Fund in the United States.