FRAUENKULTUR: A NEW ONLINE ARCHIVE OF SECOND WAVE FEMINIST BOOK TITLES

Frauenkultur: a new online archive of second wave feminist book titles and subject guides
by Bec Wonders

Frauenkultur is a comprehensive online resource archive for second wave feminist texts written between 1965-1995. The archive is meant to act as a central hub, for young women and girls especially, to discover the range and multiplicity of second wave feminist writing and to create intergenerational linkages with women’s work of the past. While the actual texts are not available on the archive, there is plenty of information for each book entry such as a summary, quotes, sometimes images and table of contents.

Additionally there are subject guides such as "Reading Black Women" or "Books Published by Women's Presses" to make it easier to search within a given topic or theme.

Where does “Frauenkultur” come from?

Frauenkultur is a German word that literally translates to “Women’s Culture”. Some of the earliest mentions using this word happen in the context of Bauhaus weaving and architecture theory*, based on how the early German women’s movement created space for women to see themselves not just as users, but as creators.

* See T’ai Smith’s book “Bauhaus Weaving Theory: From Feminine Craft to Mode of Design” University of Minnesota Press, 2014.

How did this project start?

Frauenkultur is a project that was started by Bec Wonders and is informed by her PhD research on the second wave Women’s Liberation Movement and feminist publishing networks. This online archive is meant to circulate academic research in a more accessible and engaging way.

What is the purpose of the archive?

Many young women today do not know the extent to which second wave feminists wrote, edited, and published their work. There exists a treasure trove of feminist writing and theory from the 1970s and 1980s that must not be forgotten or trivialised. This online archive is meant to act as a starting point for young feminists to make intergenerational linkages and discover overlooked herstorical material.

What kind of texts are included?

Currently the focus is on book and pamphlet titles, which are included based on the following criteria: the text was written between 1965-1995, by a woman, and has a relevant connection to the Women’s Liberation Movement and feminist theory.

How does the archive decide which texts to include?

As long as the text fulfils the above criteria, it will be included in the archive. That being said, the sheer volume of texts that second wave feminists produced means that, by default, there will be texts missing. The purpose of this archive is to continually update and grow its resources in order to, as best possible, give a sense of what kind of feminist writing was produced during the Women’s Liberation Movement.

Start exploring the archive here, follow Frauenkultur on Twitter or Instagram, and share your favourite book entry with a young woman in your life!