Open-Air-Exhibition: „You Can’t Form a State Without Women“

Equality is a core principle of modern democracy. A democratic society is inconceivable without equal treatment and equal opportunities for participation for all people, regardless of characteristics such as gender, social status, or background. Of course, there is often a wide gap between this ideal and reality.

Equality between women and men—but the path to achieving it has been long and fraught with resistance. For centuries, women had significantly fewer rights than men. Even today, the fight for equality is not over—issues such as wage inequality, balancing work and family life, and combating gender-based violence remain central challenges for our democracy. In the first half of the 19th century, women’s political engagement was limited to educational initiatives and social projects. By drawing attention to how political these supposedly private spheres actually are, feminist movements broadened the understanding of democracy and equality. Nevertheless, they were still denied the right to participate as voters and elected officials in political institutions. In the late 19th century, women’s associations formed that advocated for education and career opportunities for women and took up issues such as women’s suffrage. The latter was realized with the Weimar Constitution of 1918. Yet many forms of discrimination persisted within the legal system. In the Federal Republic of Germany, the Basic Law of 1949 and the Equal Rights Act of 1958 established legal equality, but did not yet fully abolish old norms and gender roles. With the New Women’s Movement of the 1960s and 1970s, the struggle for equality became even more politicized and visible in society.

This exhibition takes visitors to some of the many places where people recognized equality as an indispensable principle of our democracy and fought to achieve it. They illustrate how democratic development has always gone hand in hand with the demand for equality and tell the story of the various currents within the German women’s movement. Equality is not an abstract principle: it must be actively integrated into our social interactions in order to bring our democracy to life and strengthen it. This exhibition is dedicated to the equality of women and men. Other groups have also asserted—and continue to assert—their right to equality. These include religious and ethnic minorities, queer people, people with disabilities, and people with a history of migration. The often long and difficult struggle of all these groups for recognition and equal rights is also part of the history of democracy.

Many Paths, One Goal: Women’s Movements in History

The women’s movement was never uniform. The paths women took in the 19th century were as diverse as the women themselves. Bourgeois women’s organizations focused on educational and labor reforms, while socialist women’s groups demanded political participation as part of a broader struggle against class injustice. Regardless of their ideological orientation, they were united by the common goal of securing women’s rights.

Where Women’s Rights Came to Life

The history of political equality between men and women has been anything but straightforward. Political recognition and participation were prerequisites for securing fundamental rights to education, work, and personal freedoms. These sites illustrate the long journey toward equality in the 20th century, from legal achievements to political breakthroughs.