Ruth Kirsten Seppi and Dr. Robert McFarland, Germanic and Slavic Languages Detail

I spent the summer of 2002 scrolling through microfilm, cataloguing everything written by women between 1921 and 1926 in the Neue Freie Presse, one of the most influential Viennese newspapers then. On the front page of the morning edition, a line divided the column titled “Feuilleton” from the rest of the paper. Various writers wrote feuilletons, and the name “Bertha Pauli” appeared regularly. Her sketches of women were intriguing because the subject matter was unique. However, when I looked for more information about her, I could not find much.

Bertha Pauli belongs to a class of writers (women) who are often overlooked, writing in a style (feuilleton) that is under-recognized for its literary value. By examining Pauli’s writings in the greater context of feuilleton, I evaluated her contributions to this field. My research focuses on answering two questions. First, “What is a feuilleton, and why is this art form important?” The answers to this first question help in evaluating the second, “What was Bertha Pauli attempting to express in her biographical feuilletons about women and why do these feuilletons matter?” What is a feuilleton, and why is this art form important?

Popular from the eighteenth century until the Second World War, feuilletons were non-political, human-interest essays in the newspaper about art, theater, music travel, or biography.2 Scholars of German Literature usually ignore feuilletons; however, Wilmont Haacke, in his Handbuch des Feuilletons, claims that feuilletons are proof that journalism can be quality literature.3

Since both feuilleton and women’s writings tend to be ignored in literary studies, Feuilletonistinnen4 are at a double disadvantage. The few studies of feuilletons have concentrated on the Fin de Siècle5 period and on male writers. However, feuilletons from the 1920s are important socio-politically. The varying degrees of freedom granted to the Austrian Press over the years affected the content of feuilletons. During the First World War, for instance, Austrian newspapers became political propaganda. After World War I when the journalistic censors were removed, Feuilletonists6 began writing about personal political beliefs.7 This was the only extended time period when writers could express their personal political views. What was Bertha Pauli attempting to express in her biographical feuilletons about women and why do these feuilletons matter?

Berta Pauli’s biographical feuilletons written between 1921 and 1926 focus on six specific women: Queen Christina of Sweden, Marie Antoinette, Marie Therese, Maria Luise, Empress Carlotta of Mexico, and George Sand. These feuilletons are significant as reflections of women’s issues in Viennese culture during the 1920s and as a contribution to the genre of feuilleton. The 1920s in Vienna were a time of great political change, and Pauli’s feuilletons reflect this as she argues for her political and feminist ideas. Social democracy was popular during this time, and Pauli’s writings reflect her endorsement of the movement. By showing her subjects’ weaknesses as rulers, Pauli suggests that royal blood is not sufficient justification for power. Pauli implied support for social democracy by showing problems with the monarchial system.8

In a time when the women’s movement had gone into dormancy, Pauli’s feuilletons overwhelmingly demonstrate her support for feminism. By expanding the traditional view of these historical women, Pauli encouraged her readers to reevaluate the role and worth of women in society. Pauli challenges the stereotypical views of her subjects, explaining the womens’ underlying motivations for their actions.9 Her physical descriptions of the women, who usually did not meet the social standards for beauty, also expanded traditional views of women, showing that, in spite of the common perception, good looks do not determine a woman’s value.10

Many women wrote feuilletons during the 1920s, but Pauli’s are especially important to include in the canon of feuilletons. She was an excellent writer. One important aspect of Pauli’s feuilletons is rhetorical stance (the author’s knowledge of him- or herself, audience, and subject matter). Pauli’s caution in discussing feminism, at a time when women were still not considered men’s equals, demonstrates a careful rhetorical stance. Alice Schalek, another woman writing during this time, was apparently fairly unsuccessful in molding public opinion because she was overly bold in stating feminist views.11 Pauli’s understated political commentary was less antagonistic, thus, increasing her ability to incrementally influence the minds of all her readers.

Bertha Pauli’s writings have never been systematically analyzed before despite their prominence in Vienna during the 1920s. Studying her works addresses a gap in the research on the littlestudied form of feuilleton. My work has made me realize the historical importance of women writers. If scholars do not study women writers in addition to men, they create a lopsided view of culture, indicating that only men were thinking. Taking into consideration the widespread distrust of feminists during the 1920s, I showed that Pauli used her skill in persuasive writing to carefully influence her audience’s thinking, encouraging her readers to reevaluate women’s role in society and supporting social democratic ideas. I also demonstrated that Pauli’s writings are significant to the genre of feuilleton, citing her unique subject matter and political subtext in her biographies about women along with her demonstrated skill as a Feuilletonistin.12

References

1. See my Brigham Young University Honors Thesis (Viennese Feuilleton During the Early 1920s: Description and Analysis of Bertha Pauli’s Biographical Sketches as Contributions to a Literary Genre) for more in depth analysis.
2. Maierbrugger, Arno. “Das ‘historische’ Zeitungs-Feuilleton. Forschungsprobleme aus der Sicht der Kommunkationsgeschichte.“ Zeitungen im Wiener Fin de Siècle. Wien: Verlag für Geschichte und Politik Wien, 1997: 155.
3. Haake, Wilmont. Handbuch des Feuilletons. 3 Bände. Emsdetten: Lechte, 1951-1953: 2:306.
4. Feuilletonistin-Woman author of feuilletons; Feuilletonistinnen is the plural form.
5. Fin de Siècle-the turn from the nineteenth to the twentieth century.
6. Feuilletonist-author of feuilletons.
7. Maierbrugger 154-5.
8. Example: Pauli, Bertha. “Die letzte Dauphine I.” Neue Freie Presse. Mar. 24, 1925, Morgen ed.: 4.
9. Example: Ibid. “Die letzte Dauphine II.” Neue Freie Presse. Apr. 9, 1925, Morgen ed.: 2.
10. Example: Ibid. “Christina von Schweden.” Neue Freie Presse. Dec. 8, 1926, Morgen ed.: 2.
11. Wagner, Mary Louise. Pioneer Journalistinnen, Two Early Twentieth-Century Viennese Cases: Berta Zuckerkandl and Alice Schalek. Ohio State University, 1976: 127-128.
12. Thank you to Robert McFarland (advisor), Michelle James-Stott (Honors Thesis Referee), and to the Sophie Digital Library Project.