Women’s Writing and Writing for Women in Croatian Literature of the Nineteenth Century

Abstract

Signs of changing attitudes towards women in Croatian cultural history may be seen in various histories of Croatian literature. The case of the mother of Ljudevit Gaj, the central figure of the Croatian national revival known as ‘the Illyrian Movement’, is symptomatic. While an earlier account of Croatian literature describes her as ‘an educated woman of sensibility’,1 according to a more recent history (1974–78), Julijana Gaj, nee Schmidt (1767–1839) was not only an educated woman but also the first woman writer of that movement.2 Although there is no further reference to her literary work, the fact that it is mentioned for the first time in a history of literature is welcome. In the biography of Ljudevit Gaj one can read a more reserved opinion of his mother and there is not one word about her literary activity: ‘She was reasonably well educated for her time.’3 The example is typical, because Gaj was the most important figure of the period; his mother is mentioned in the wider biographical context of the origins of his family, but also because of her influence on her son.