The first national elections were held in February 1919. This was an important step for the young republic.

For the first time ever, all citizen—women and men—age 20 and up were allowed to vote. From the start, the Republic set out to treat all citizens equally.

In the 19th century, women came together to fight for their rights. A key demand for the international network of middle-class and social democratic women’s movements was the women’s right to vote. It had now become reality.

On both photos you see the first female representatives to hold a seat in Parliament. The photograph on the left shows women from the Social Democrats, including Adelheid Popp on the left in front. The photograph on the right is of representatives from the Christian Socialist Party. Hildegard Burjan in the white blouse really stands out here.

Adelheid Popp and Hildegard Burjan are also included in the larger portraits in this room, which you can explore in more detail later if you like.

Hildegard Burjan—on the right photograph—was born into a Jewish family, but later converted to Catholicism. She founded a social initiative to support women living in poverty.

Adelheid Popp—on the left photograph, sitting in the first row on the left—was from a working-class family. Already at a young age, she joined the Social Democrats and joined the struggle for better working conditions. She was editor and co-founder of the Arbeiterinnen-Zeitung, the Women Workers’ Newspaper.

Under the Monarchy, women were not allowed to organize politically. Despite this, many women were politically active, and by doing so, risked imprisonment and punishment. For the very first time women were allowed to be politically active as voters and representatives themselves.

During the First Republic, women Members of Parliament had different standpoints—depending on their party. In the early days of the Republic, they worked together across party lines to improve the conditions for women.

For example, in 1920, the Law on Household Service was passed. The bill was introduced by Hildegard Burjan and Social Democrat Anna Boschek, which secured rights for maids, such as the right to vacation leave and rest during the night hours.

During the First Republic, however, female representatives faced resistance on many issues. Some of their demands, such as legalizing abortion and Marriage Law reform, were only met in the 1970s, while others, such as equal pay for equal work, are still being discussed today.

The first 8 female representatives brought the percentage of women in Parliament to 5 per cent. One hundred years later, after the 2019 election, the percentage of women Members of Parliament was 39 per cent.