The ("Association of Vegetarian Women") was a German women's vegetarian organisation based in Dresden. It was founded in 1910 by Martha Förster, who, together with her husband Georg Förster, was active in Dresden's organised vegetarian movement. By the end of 1922, it had 149 members, with members in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. In 1930, it merged with the ("Association of German Vegetarian Societies") to form the ("German Vegetarian Association").

History An organised vegetarian association had existed in Dresden since 1881. In 1908, Martha and Georg Förster were among the founders of the International Vegetarian Union at its inaugural congress in Dresden. The ("Vegetarian Association of Saxony") was formed in 1909, and Martha Förster founded the in Dresden the following year. Georg Förster served as treasurer and, for a time, chairman of the Dresden vegetarian association, and represented it in the ("German Vegetarian Union").

Daniel Siemens places the association among specialised groups formed within the German vegetarian movement, alongside vegetarian singing, gymnastics, sports and youth organisations. A history published by the ("Swedish Vegetarian Society") records that the association had 149 members at the end of 1922. At the International Vegetarian Congress held in Stockholm in 1923, Martha Förster represented the association. The congress report described it as an association of German vegetarian women with members in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

In 1930, the and the ("Association of German Vegetarian Societies"), which Georg Förster had helped establish in Dresden in 1918, merged to form the ("German Vegetarian Association").

Publications

The association published the monthly ("Vegetarian Women's Newspaper"), which carried news about vegetarian organisations in other countries, recipes, and reports on the treatment of animals in slaughterhouses. In 1922, the association published the 28-page ("Vegetarian Cookbook").

See also History of vegetarianism Vegetarianism in Germany Women and vegetarianism and veganism advocacy Women's Vegetarian Union

References