„… die Magd kam aus dem Hause noch vor ihrer Entbindung“. Narrationen über Dienstmägde in Scheidungsakten zwischen 1800 und 1867

Author(s)
Stephanie Rieder-Zagkla
Abstract

"... the Maid was Sent Away Before She Had Given Birth." Narratives about Maids in Divorce Records Between 1800 and 1867. Divorce files not only document the negotiation of conflicts between two spouses. They also provide insights into the (often precarious) working conditions of marginalized persons, such as servants. This article examines divorce files from 1800 until 1867 with a special focus on the narratives they contain about maids. The first part of the article addresses the issue of sexual violence against maids. The second and the third part question what consequences sexual intercourse with the masters and a potential pregnancy could have for the maids according to labour law and criminal law. Finally, the article discusses whether the maids had agency in the context of "adultery" with their masters and if they could express their personal perspective in court.

Organisation(s)
Department of History
Journal
Österreichische Zeitschrift für Geschichtswissenschaften (OeZG)
Volume
33
Pages
193-205
No. of pages
13
ISSN
1016-765X
DOI
https://doi.org/10.25365/oezg-2022-33-3-10
Publication date
03-2023
Austrian Fields of Science 2012
601028 Gender history, 601016 Austrian history
Keywords
ASJC Scopus subject areas
History
Portal url
https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/9c0de5b9-3198-460c-83dc-def95e7e4f20