Jindřiška Flajšhansová

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Jindřiška Flajšhansová
Photograph of a woman wearing a beret and a dark coat with a turned back white collar.
Flajšhansová, prior to 1931
Born
Jindřiška Kakšová

(1868-09-04)4 September 1868
Died30 May 1931(1931-05-30) (aged 62)
Other namesJindra B. Flajšhansová, Jindřiška Kakšová
Occupation(s)Teacher, writer, activist
Years active1889–1931

Jindřiška Flajšhansová (4 September 1868 – 30 May 1931) was a Czech teacher, editor, and women's rights activist. Trained as a teacher, when she married, Flajšhansová was forced to give up the profession. She turned her attention to the issues of disability and women's concerns. Becoming an advocate for people with sight difficulties, she supported the use of

Austro-Hungarian Empire
.

Early life and education

Jindřiška Kakšová was born on 4 September 1868, in Sedlčany, in the Kingdom of Bohemia, to Marie (née Sršňová) and Ludvík Pravoslav Kakš.[1] Her mother was a personal friend of Jan Neruda and after her marriage, he became a life-long family friend, as well as her correspondent.[2] Her father was a lawyer, and practised in Slaný. He also dabbled in theatre and wrote librettos.[2][3] Her brother, Jan, was also musical but studied law. Kakšová had few options to further her education at the time and decided to study teaching.[3] She graduated from the Czech Institute for the Education of Female Teachers in Prague around 1889.[4][5]

Career

Upon her graduation, Kakšová taught for five years before marrying

Austro-Hungarian Empire.[9] Krásnohorská, who also founded the association and its journal, Ženské listy, recruited Flajšhansová to join the Czech Women's Industrial Association.[10][11]

In 1910, when declining health forced Krásnohorská to retire,[10] Flajšhansová became the chair of the Czech Women's Industrial Association. Within two years, she also became the editor of Ženské listy.[3] Besides publishing original articles in the journal, Flajšhansová translated works from other authors working in the women's movement internationally.[7] The focus of the magazine was to publish literary works from women authors and provide practical educational advice on running a household, medicine and hygiene, training and employment. As World War I was approaching, the magazine increasingly focused on politics.[12] Flajšhansová, as a pacifist, advocated for peaceful solutions.[13] As the war continued, the magazine did not face censorship like other feminist publications, as it espoused largely conservative views. It increasingly became a survival manual on how to get through the war.[14]

Despite the financial struggles that continued to plague the organisation and the magazine,[15][16] Flajšhansová refused to allow it to become affiliated with any specific political party.[11] In 1921, she tried to resign from the editorship and pass the job over to Maryša Šárecká [cs] and Pavla Moudrá [cs], but the change was unsuccessful. From 1923, she was able to have František Sekanina [cs] take on most of the editorial duties.[14] She finally stepped away from editing the journal in 1926, when it ceased publication, because of a lack of funding.[3][17] That year, Krásnohorská died and Flajšhansová began pressing for a monument to be installed in Charles Square in her honour.[17][18]

Death and legacy

Flajšhansová died suddenly on 30 May 1931, the day before the monument to Krásnohorská was to be unveiled. Both women were honoured during the dedication ceremony, which took place on 31 May. She was remembered for her dedication to issues which impacted women and girls and her work to preserve the memory of Krásnohorská.[18]

References

Citations

  1. ^ Birth record 1868, p. 193.
  2. ^ a b Novotný 1965, p. 577.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Vošahlíková 2020.
  4. ^ Czech Institute 1901, p. 148.
  5. ^ a b Najmanová 2011, p. 36.
  6. ^ Výroční zpráva 1931.
  7. ^ a b Najmanová 2011, p. 37.
  8. ^ Najmanová 2011, pp. 37–38.
  9. ^ Sayer 1998, p. 90.
  10. ^ a b Najmanová 2011, p. 39.
  11. ^ a b Garver 1985, p. 75.
  12. ^ Heczková 2009, p. 78.
  13. ^ Heczková 2009, p. 77.
  14. ^ a b Heczková 2009, p. 79.
  15. ^ Heczková 2009, pp. 78–79.
  16. ^ Najmanová 2011, p. 40.
  17. ^ a b Heczková 2009, p. 80.
  18. ^ a b Najmanová 2011, p. 41.

Bibliography