Abstract

In nineteenth-century Germany, women were not yet admitted to university studies. However, their education became more important and attracted more public discussion as the century wore on. Whereas the regular public school system did not afford women many opportunities, private initiatives sometimes filled the need for women’s vocational and “business” training. As illustrated in this list of courses offered by the Lette Association—founded in 1866 by Wilhelm A. Lette (1799–1868)—emphasis was put on traditional domestic roles and fund-raising activities for women, not on higher intellectual or scientific pursuits.

Practical Courses Offered by the Vocational Schools of the Lette Association (1871–72, 1879)

Source

I. Business School of the Lette Association (as of 1871–72)

Admission requirements: 1st or 2nd grade of the higher (secondary) school for girls, at least 15 years of age;
Duration: 1 year (12 hours a week);
School fees: 50 thalers and 2 thalers fees;
Cost of full board: 17 thalers a month.

Subjects:
Business correspondence,
business mathematics,
office work and correspondence,
accounting,
business and trade studies,
monetary and exchange system, coins, weights and measures, etc.,
English and French languages, correspondence and conversation: 6 hrs. a week,
German: 4 hrs. a week

Management of the school: Professor Clement

II. Vocational School of the Lette Association (as of 1871–72)

Industrial drafting (1 year or ½, 8 hours a week, 4 thalers per month)
Practical tailoring, clothes-making and ready-made clothing (2 months, 6-9 hours a week, 5 thalers per month)
Linen tailoring (3 months, 4 hours a week, 2 thalers per month)
Sewing instruction for hand-sewing, linen embroidery, and invisible mending (monthly, 6 hours a week, 1 thaler)
Machine sewing (monthly, 4 hours a week, 4 thalers per month)
Wreath and bouquet making (3 months, 4 hours a week, 4 thalers per month)
Cleaning class (3 months, 4 hours a week, 4 thalers per month)

Management of the school: Karl Weiß

III. State of the Schools in 1879

[School]

Female students

Business school

83

Drafting school

55

Sculpting course

8

Course for needlework teachers

43

Needlework

193

Craft work school

36

Tailoring class

354

Cleaning class

134

Machine sewing

133

Linen tailoring

104

Wreath and floral design

9

Hairdressing

22

Cooking school

65

Laundry and ironing institute

140

Typesetter school

approx. 30

Total

1,409 female students

IV. Other Institutions of the Lette Association (as of 1879)

Viktoria Foundation (boarding)
Viktoria Bazaar
Ladies’ restaurant
Loan society
Sewing machine fund
Further education school

Assets in 1879

6,577.34 marks

Revenue

41,406.99 marks

[Total]

47,984.33 marks

Expenditures

41,824.26 marks

Balance

6,160.07 marks

Source: (I. and II.) Frauen-Anwalt 3, no. 2 (1872–73), pp. 90–91; (III. and IV.) Frauen-Anwalt, no. 4 (1880), pp. 121ff.; reprinted in Margrit Twellmann, Die Deutsche Frauenbewegung im Spiegel repräsentativer Frauenzeitschriften. Ihre Anfänge und erste Entwicklung, 2 vols., vol. 2, Quellen 1843–1889. Meisenheim am Glan: A. Hain, 1972, pp. 453–55.

Translation: Erwin Fink