Women's Domination Now Prevails in Bergisch Gladbach
The Women's Council NRW e.V. is set to honour three remarkable women, the Zanders family, as part of the FrauenOrte NRW project. This initiative aims to recognise 57 women personalities from over ten centuries and all regions of North Rhine-Westphalia by the end of 2025. Funded by the Ministry for Children, Youth, Families, Equality, Flight and Integration of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, the project is a significant step towards correcting the skewed perception that women have not made significant contributions to history.
Under the umbrella of the Women's Council NRW, the project is supported by Dr. Ulrich Soenius, Judith Klaßen, and the Zanders Foundation for Paper Historical Collection. The Zanders women are being honoured with a memorial plaque for their immense and extraordinary merits in shaping the fate of the paper manufacturer Zanders over two centuries.
Julie Zanders, the matriarch of the family, led the company from 1831 to 1869, initially on her own and later with her son Carl Richard. She purchased the Gohrsmühle, which remained the company's main headquarters until its end. Maria Zanders, Julie's daughter, led the company alone from 1870 to 1902, expanding it through acquisitions and modernizing it. She initiated the construction of Villa Zanders, a place where art, music, and civic engagement came together.
Maria Zanders' work at the paper manufacturer Zanders had a lasting significance, as emphasised by Dr. Ina Dinter, the director of the Kunstmuseum Villa Zanders. Olga Zanders, Maria's daughter-in-law, managed the company from 1915 to 1929, employing around 1500 people. She ensured the survival of the company during World War I and the depression of the 1920s and founded the wedding grant for Zanders employees' children.
The Zanders women were pioneers who took on the responsibility of leading the firm Zanders at a time when this was not common. Despite societal norms, they secured many people's jobs and livelihoods for many years. For example, Olga Zanders led the company as a widow of Maria Zanders' son, but her leadership was likely viewed as a family duty rather than a public business role.
The proposal for the honoring of the Zanders women was made by Dr. Ulrich Soenius, director of the Rheinisch-Westfälisches Wirtschaftsarchiv zu Köln foundation. Jihane Qotit Zerhouni, board member of Women's Council NRW e.V., stated that the goal of the FrauenOrte NRW project is to contribute to equality by correcting the skewed perception that women have not made significant contributions to history.
Tatjana Gräfin von Spee, born Zanders, as a representative of the family in the Kuratorium of the Zanders - Paper Historical Collection foundation and chairwoman of the Altenberger Dom-Verein founded by Maria Zanders, paid tribute to the Zanders women's immense and extraordinary merits for the paper factory and thus for the social and cultural life of the region.
The determined action of Julie, Maria, and Olga Zanders secured many people's jobs and livelihoods for many years. Their legacy continues to inspire, and their honoring by the FrauenOrte NRW project is a testament to their significant contributions to North Rhine-Westphalia's history.
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