Freudenberg, Ika (eg. Sophia Friederike Adelheid)

Women's rights activist, pianist

born: 24.03.1858 in Raubach

died: 09.01.1912 in Munich

Freudenberg, who grew up in Wiesbaden, decided to study at the Hochschule für Musik in Berlin, trained as a pianist and initially taught at the Freudenberg Conservatory in Wiesbaden, which was founded by her eldest brother, the composer Wilhelm Freudenberg. She studied art, philosophy and cultural history on her own.

As early as 1890, she was a member of the German Women's Association Reform, together with her sister-in-law, Consul Freudenberg and the Wiesbaden dentist Dr. Anna von Doemming. From June 5 to 7, 1893, the 4th General Assembly of the Women's Education Reform Association took place in Wiesbaden, a few days later Freudenberg's mother died.

Freudenberg then moved to Munich and joined the unconventional circle around Sophia Goudstikker and Anita Augspurg. Freudenberg became the center and leader of a group from which the southern German women's movement was formed. In 1894, the "Society for the Promotion of Women's Intellectual Interests" was founded, and Freudenberg was a member of the board from the very beginning. Until her death, she played a decisive role in shaping the policies of the society, which belonged to the moderate wing of the women's movement and was primarily dedicated to educational issues and social welfare. Her friend Sophia Goudstikker expanded the association to include an affiliated legal protection office for women.

In 1899, Freudenberg organized the first Bavarian Women's Day in the hope of attracting more women to the women's movement, which she succeeded in doing. In 1902, she called for the founding of a main association of Bavarian women's clubs and became its first chairwoman. This association soon represented 20,000 members. Freudenberg not only succeeded in uniting the Bavarian women's associations, but also in connecting them to the Federation of German Women's Associations. She managed an enormous amount of work, wrote petitions, applications, articles and brochures, organized conferences and gave lectures in a wide variety of places, including Wiesbaden.

In 1905, Freudenberg fell ill with breast cancer. Despite numerous operations, she continued to work. She died in Munich in 1912. In accordance with her wishes, Freudenberg was buried in the family plot in the North Cemetery.