Luise Aston
Encyclopedia
Luise Aston or Louise Aston, (November 26, 1814–December 21, 1871) was a German
author
and feminist, who championed the rights of women, and was known for dressing in male attire. She was an advocate of democracy
and free love and sexuality.
in Berlin. The couple remarried and divorced a second time in 1844.
She was an atheist, a democrat, and a republican and she criticized marriage. She also believed in love outside of marriage: As a woman was often forced to marry for money and as she was economically dependent of her husband, it was difficult to marry for love and to keep love in a marriage. Marriage under such circumstances was for these reasons a form of prostitution
. The contemporary women's movement had similar views, but considered it dangerous to expose them for fear of being considered immoral. Aston was therefore criticized by both the women's movement and the conservative society for different reasons because of her view that it should be allowed to have a sexual love relationship without being married.
She was called a whore and a shameless marriage broker and seductress by the press. She was watched by the secret police, who sent spies after her and read her letters. She was watched by the secret police and banished from Berlin
in 1846 because her way of life was seen as threatening to conventional order. In 1846, she was expelled from Berlin by the police: " I must leave Berlin within eight days because I have expressed and lived according to ideas who were dangerous for the conservative law and order." In 1848, she took part in the revolutionary wave in Germany. She served in the Freikorps
in Schleswig
during the war.
She was active within the democracy movement. She started a paper, which was stopped by the censorship authorities. She was expelled again but return with a false passport. In 1850, she married the doctor Eduard Meier, with whom she became very happy. They moved to Bremen
. They were often harassed by the authorities as dangerous radicals.
Aston was watched by the police, who sent agents to her home and read her letters. Different cities in Germany collaborated in these efforts. Her spouse was head doctor and was much harassed and fired several times because of his marriage. He was forced to guarantee that she should not met his patients or live in his quarters. he was also accused of having allowed an unmarried pregnant woman to remain in employ and of having given her his care. At one occasion, he asked them straight out: "Is this an attempt to separate me from my wife?" and was given the answer: "Yes, that is correct."
The police agent reported, that she had few female friends, but many male ones, who often visited her and "had the appearance of democrats." She admitted to a police officer that she believed in democracy and republic: "At present, I view the cause of democracy to be lost. It would be madness to do anything now, but soon, there will be an opportunity to do so."
Her spouse had a wild rose carved upon her grave stone, and at his own, wrote, "The one God gave a woman, was given a treasure."
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
and feminist, who championed the rights of women, and was known for dressing in male attire. She was an advocate of democracy
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
and free love and sexuality.
Biography
Louise Aston married a wealthy English factory owner in 1835. She was later to say that her father had forced her to marry. She was given a divorceDivorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
in Berlin. The couple remarried and divorced a second time in 1844.
She was an atheist, a democrat, and a republican and she criticized marriage. She also believed in love outside of marriage: As a woman was often forced to marry for money and as she was economically dependent of her husband, it was difficult to marry for love and to keep love in a marriage. Marriage under such circumstances was for these reasons a form of prostitution
Prostitution
Prostitution is the act or practice of providing sexual services to another person in return for payment. The person who receives payment for sexual services is called a prostitute and the person who receives such services is known by a multitude of terms, including a "john". Prostitution is one of...
. The contemporary women's movement had similar views, but considered it dangerous to expose them for fear of being considered immoral. Aston was therefore criticized by both the women's movement and the conservative society for different reasons because of her view that it should be allowed to have a sexual love relationship without being married.
She was called a whore and a shameless marriage broker and seductress by the press. She was watched by the secret police, who sent spies after her and read her letters. She was watched by the secret police and banished from Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
in 1846 because her way of life was seen as threatening to conventional order. In 1846, she was expelled from Berlin by the police: " I must leave Berlin within eight days because I have expressed and lived according to ideas who were dangerous for the conservative law and order." In 1848, she took part in the revolutionary wave in Germany. She served in the Freikorps
Freikorps
Freikorps are German volunteer military or paramilitary units. The term was originally applied to voluntary armies formed in German lands from the middle of the 18th century onwards. Between World War I and World War II the term was also used for the paramilitary organizations that arose during...
in Schleswig
Schleswig
Schleswig or South Jutland is a region covering the area about 60 km north and 70 km south of the border between Germany and Denmark; the territory has been divided between the two countries since 1920, with Northern Schleswig in Denmark and Southern Schleswig in Germany...
during the war.
She was active within the democracy movement. She started a paper, which was stopped by the censorship authorities. She was expelled again but return with a false passport. In 1850, she married the doctor Eduard Meier, with whom she became very happy. They moved to Bremen
Bremen
The City Municipality of Bremen is a Hanseatic city in northwestern Germany. A commercial and industrial city with a major port on the river Weser, Bremen is part of the Bremen-Oldenburg metropolitan area . Bremen is the second most populous city in North Germany and tenth in Germany.Bremen is...
. They were often harassed by the authorities as dangerous radicals.
Aston was watched by the police, who sent agents to her home and read her letters. Different cities in Germany collaborated in these efforts. Her spouse was head doctor and was much harassed and fired several times because of his marriage. He was forced to guarantee that she should not met his patients or live in his quarters. he was also accused of having allowed an unmarried pregnant woman to remain in employ and of having given her his care. At one occasion, he asked them straight out: "Is this an attempt to separate me from my wife?" and was given the answer: "Yes, that is correct."
The police agent reported, that she had few female friends, but many male ones, who often visited her and "had the appearance of democrats." She admitted to a police officer that she believed in democracy and republic: "At present, I view the cause of democracy to be lost. It would be madness to do anything now, but soon, there will be an opportunity to do so."
Her spouse had a wild rose carved upon her grave stone, and at his own, wrote, "The one God gave a woman, was given a treasure."
Quote
"I have asked for permission to wear male attire so that I can hear the lectures at the university. I do not believe in God and I smoke cigars. My goal is to free the women even if it may cost me my hearts blood. I consider marriage as immoral, because I do not believe that love can last within it."