Life during the Partitions

For Polish women living in the country divided due to the Partitions, the demands of opening access to education and making a career in the academic world had not only emancipatory overtone. The way they saw it, education and intellectual development were also an expression of their patriotism and civic engagement.

The feeling of responsibility towards Poland led them also to think that studying in the country was the best option. That way they would not risk losing contact with the Polish society and culture. For going abroad to study meant being forced to curb one’s civic and patriotic activity.

Especially women living under the Prussian rule who decided to make academic careers had to consider the context of the Partitions. The aim of the Prussian public education was to Germanise Polish men and women. Therefore, Poles refrained from working as teachers in the Prussian education system out of patriotism. For the same reason Polish students boycotted the Prussian university operating in Poznań – the Royal German Academy. Staying true to one’s beliefs meant facing further obstacles on the path to education.