Die Staatsbürgerin

Die Staatsbürgerin was published by Gertrud Guillaume-Schack.[1] It was the first journal published for German workers.[2] It was edited by Hartwig Gebhardt and Ulla Wischermann.[3] The first issue appeared on 3 January 1886, with a statement of purpose on the front page.[3][lower-alpha 1] The title banner declared that Die Staatsbürgerin was the "Organ for the interests of workers". It was published in Offenbach am Main in Hesse.[7]

The journal was published for just six months before it was banned by the censor in June 1886.[8] The reason given was "incitement to class hatred".[5] Guillaume-Schack left Hesse and avoided further prosecution by emigrating to London. Her political ally Johanna Friederike Wecker was spared this fate.[8] Remaining copies were pulped.[4]

At the start of 1890 Die Staatsbürgerin reappeared under the title Die Arbeiterin (The Worker). Clara Zetkin took over direction and again changed its title to Die Gleichheit (Equality), which became one of the most important of the German workers' papers.[9]

Die Staatsbürgerin provided a means of communication between associations of working women. It was mainly devoted to reporting the meetings of the associations, and gave statistics on working conditions and wages, as well as news and commentary on the wage struggles.[10] The correspondents were mainly from Munich and Zurich.[9] It provides an excellent source of information on the suppression of women's workers associations at the time.[1] The last number (#24) of Die Staatsbürgerin had a cheerfully ironic article about the ban on workers' meetings in Saxony. It said that if political meetings of women were banned, all clubs of female citizens should be closed.[8]