Anna B. Eckstein
Anna Bernhardine Eckstein (June 14 1868 – October 16 1947) was a German teacher and pacifist. In 1905 she was Vice president of the American Peace Society and was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1914.
Early life[edit]
Anna B. Eckstein was born on 14 June 1868 in Coburg, Germany, as the daughter of the porter and telegraphist Johann Nikolaus (1840-1901) and Anna Barbara (née Götz, 1847-1926) Eckstein. [1] [2] She was the middle child, having one younger brother Ernst (1873-1946) and one older sister Sidonine, referred to as "Toni" (1866-1923), who had multiple severe disabilites from birth . [2]
Between 1874 and 1882 she visits the local girl's grade school, where she learns French and English.
On September 2, 1884, Eckstein emigrated via Bremerhaven to New York City to life with her aunt Carrie and her uncle Bernhard Degenkolb. There she worked as a nanny for different wealthy families in New York City and later as a governess or chaperone to Godfrey Mannheimer's daughter Mamie. With the Mannheimers she returns to Europe on multipe occasions between 1897 and 1893.
In 1894 she moves to Boston to live with and work for Mattie Griffith Browne, an anti-slavery novelist. There Eckstein takes over the Modern School of Languages and Literature in 1897, and becomes a German and English teacher. After Mattie's death in 1906, Eckstein returns home in 1909 where takes care of her disabled sister Toni and her mother until their deaths in 1923 and 1926, respectively. During the Third Reich Eckstein has issues with the authorities, having multiple publications forbidden, which means she spends most of 1933 in Swiss exile.
Death[edit]
Eckstein died on October 16, 1947 in her home in Coburg.
Peace activism[edit]
Eckstein said about herself that she was an "abolitionist of war and a friend of peace by inheritance"[2] as her mother was of the opinion that the Austro-Prussian War in 1866 was the resulted in Toni's premature birth which resulted in her severe disability.
During the Spanish–American War, Eckstein helped take care of war victims and wounded soldiers and took an active supporting role of Charles Gordon Ames' work, who went on to found the American Anti-Imperialist League. During the war Eckstein lives in a hotel in Kittery Point, Maine which was also home to a Prisoner-of-war camp for Spanish soldiers. [3] During this time, Eckstein lives with Mattie Griffith Browne, who becomes her mentor.
Eckstein becomes part of the American Peace Society after the war and helps organise the 13th Universal Peace Congress in Boston, 1904, where her language knowledge are useful. Eckstein is made part of the directorate in 1905 and part of the preparations for the second Hague Peace Conference in 1907. She starts her first petition, to be presented at the second Hague Peace Conference. This petition calls for an agreement about a general arbitration agreement between the attending states and includes stipulations similar to the Kellogg–Briand Pact.[4]The petition is printed and supported by Robert Treat Paine, president of the American Peace Society. On the July 4 1907, Eckstein puts forward the petition with over two million signatures. This petition is not accepted by the conference.
Eckstein writes her "World Petition" in 1909 to ensure enough time before the next Hague Peace Conference that is set to happen in 1915. She tries to convince normal citizens and also writes to Wilhelm II to convince him to support the petition. She gives hundreds of speeches about the petition, in German, French or English, and always wearing her "peace dress", a long white dress.
Her Christianity plays a large role in her second petition. [5] A painting is used to promote her petition in Germany. The painting Le Christ sur la montagne was painted by Édouard Debat-Ponsan and a copy was gifted to Eckstein in 1909. This painting depicts the Sermon on the Mount by Jesus but his audience is made up of the attendees of the First Hague Peace Conference, standing in front of their dead victims.
In 1913 Eckstein is the first German women to be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.
The outbreak of World War I lastly stops her petition from being used in a Peace Conference. She had received over six million signatures by 1912.[6]
The Nazi Party take over control in her home town Coburg in 1929. Eckstein writes letters to Adolf Hitler imploring him not to go to war, reminding him of the Kellogg–Briand Pact. In 1942, Joseph Goebbels, Reich Minister of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda, withdraws her printing rights for her book The Will to Harmonised Power.
References[edit]
- ↑ Regierungsblatt für das Herzogthum Coburg, 25. Juli 1868.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Sperl, Karl Eberhard (2018). Miss Eckstein und ihr Peace on Earth. Friedensmuseum (Meeder). Meeder. ISBN 9783000597398. OCLC 1043000774. Search this book on
- ↑ "Full text of "Hätte ANNA B ECKSTEIN Den Weltkrieg Verhindern Können"". archive.org. Retrieved 2019-04-14.
- ↑ Hollander, Neil, 1939- (2013-12-19). Elusive dove : the search for peace during World War I. Jefferson, North Carolina. ISBN 9780786478910. OCLC 853310509.CS1 maint: Multiple names: authors list (link) Search this book on
- ↑ Eckstein, Anna B. "The Petition to Prevent War Between Nations" (PDF).
- ↑ "Women in the Peace Movement". The Advocate of Peace. 72 (2): 26–28. 1910. ISSN 2155-7799. JSTOR 20665881.
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