Zum Saalzettel - Heeresgeschichtliches Museum Wien

Following mobilization of the troops and the ever increasing casualties of war, more and more men were being
conscripted for military service. They left vacancies in all the areas of their employment, whether these
were in industry, agriculture or other professions. Women fi ll these voids those that had previously already
been burdened with their other work and everyday duties. Female tram-drivers, mail carriers and street
maintenance workers were soon an everyday sight. The motivation of these women was however not always
motivated just by patriotism as much more by necessity. Women had to face basically the main burden on the
home front. They had to be proactive to support their families and so had no choice what kind of work they
would be employed to do. Wherever the need or demand was greatest, that was where they would be sent
– mostly with a lower salary. Factory owners argued that circumstance to the fact that women would afford
less due to their weaker physical constitution.
But some women thought that work outside the home were not just a burden, but also a chance for independence
and self-realization. So they believed that as a direct result of the contributions made by women
during the First World War, women will take a massive step toward achieving greater equal rights and freedoms.
During the Assembly for Women’s Rights on March 24th 1918, Adelheid Popp presented her lecture
and fi nally summed up the situation for women at the time with these simple words: ”Too stupid to vote, but
clever enough to fulfi l their work requirements for the war effort”. She pointed out that women had been able
to substitute men in most all areas of industry and had endured heavy workloads frequently under inhumane
conditions. Conventional attitudes of a woman’s place being only in the home were at least out-dated and
needed - in her opinion - a revision. They were soon to realize that their efforts and contributions to the war
effort were merely seen as cheap substitutes for the missing men and upon the return of the men to the
workforce, women were again delegated to nothing but low paying work.
All text and pictures of this exhibition are primarily based on the originally by the Dolomitenfreunde at the Museum
Kötschach-Mauthen carried out exhibition “Women in War” in 2011. Objects of the museums-collection
have been added.
Gedruckt nach der Richtlinie „Druckerzeugnisse“
des Österreichischen Umweltzeichens,
BMLVS/Heeresdruckzentrum, UW-Nr. 943