The Tough Beginnings of the Presence of Poland’s Women at Universities

Abstract

The purpose of this article is showing the struggle of Polish women for equal rights in the sphere of education. In my deliberations, I outline the stages of the struggle for the access to the university education, I also demonstrate the educational offer addressed to the girls in Polish lands in the 19th century; how Poles dealt with the restrictions in the sphere of education; which actions were undertaken to expand their knowledge and, in consequence, to get work opportunities in a dream profession. I try to characterize the atmosphere and the cultural context accompanying aforementioned actions. When illustrating described occurrences, I show the experience of Polish historians. I use memory reports, press statements; I also refer to the latest literature on the subject. The aim is outlining the possibly widest context accompanying efforts of Polish women for getting the university education. The chronological framework of deliberations includes the period after insurrections until 1918. As to the geographical scope, I investigate the area of the former Congress Kingdom of Poland, the Poznańskie Province and Galicja; I also take into account the foreign universities where Poles studied.