Academic emancipation of women. Scholarly careers of Polish female historians (nineteenth and twentieth century) – case study

Abstract

This article is an attempt to bridge the gap existing in the current scientific reflection. Unlike in the United States and Western Europe, in Poland and other countries of the region no comprehensive reflection on the historical condition of women in science, their contribution to the development of individual disciplines, or individual mechanisms that affect the course of women’s careers etc. has been undertaken. The author presents the struggles of Polish women fighting for access to higher education, outlines the obstacles that had had to be overcome before the university doors were finally opened to female-scholars (which only happened at the end of the nineteenth century). Next, the first scientific achievements of female humanists were presented in the field of history. The experience of Polish female historians could be generalized. Their careers reflected the experiences of other women in science from Central and Eastern Europe in the nineteenth and twentieth century. The text consists of three parts; an introductory part shows women’s struggle for higher education. A second is dedicated to women – pioneers of scientific autonomy in the field of Polish history. The author presents the problem in chronological order including two epochs: the interwar period and the period of so-called real socialism. The third part contains conclusions and refers to the contemporary situation in Polish science.