EQUALPEDIA
Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors

Wupperfrauen e. V.

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Wupperfrauen e. V. (Wupper Women) is a volunteer-run project in Wuppertal that, with an interactive women’s city map and an extensive collection of biographies, gives a voice to important historical and contemporary women in and from Wuppertal.

The central aim of the association Wupperfrauen e. V. is to make women and their history more visible, because women are markedly under-represented in public portrayal and perception. To increase this visibility, the association initiates memorial plaques and commemorations for famous, influential and exemplary women and seeks to achieve gender parity in the naming of Wuppertal’s streets, squares and stairways.1n. a. (2023): Vorstellung des Projekts. Bericht und Interview mit Dr. Dagmar Hertle. In: WDR Lokalzeit Bergisches Land, broadcast dated 13 February. Available online at: https://www.wupperfrauen.de/images/lokal-zeit.mp4 (accessed on 29 October 2025).

The association’s motivation is not only to create a new, more women-specific view of the city by telling interesting life stories. Work on women’s biographies has been an important part of the women’s movement for many years.2n. a. (2023): Vorstellung des Projekts. Bericht und Interview mit Dr. Dagmar Hertle. In: WDR Lokalzeit Bergisches Land, broadcast dated 13 February. Available online at: https://www.wupperfrauen.de/images/lokal-zeit.mp4 (accessed on 29 October 2025). Furthermore, in this way the Wupperfrauen seek to bring about gender equality as one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations. The association also sees the undertaking as a contribution to implementing the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) at local level and as part of sustainable urban development.3Personal conversation with Dr Dagmar Hertle, co-founder of Wupperfrauen e. V., on 19 August 2025.

History and founding

The project came into being in 2021, inspired by the Frauenstadtplan Köln (Cologne Women’s City Map), which since 2020 has made important women of Cologne visible under the auspices of the Stiftung Frauen*leben in Köln.4n. a. (n.d.): Website of the women’s counselling centre FrauenLeben e. V. Available online at: https://www.frauenleben.org (accessed on 29 October 2025). A group of women from Wuppertal quickly came together to carry out a similar project in Wuppertal.5Kroder, Uta Anne (2024): Wer kennt diese Frau? Der Verein Wupperfrauen e. V. rückt Frauen in den Fokus. In: blickfeld. Die CampusZeitung für Wuppertal, post dated 31 March. Available online at: https://www.blickfeld-wuppertal.de/imtal/wer-kennt-diese-frau-der-verein-wupperfrauen-e-v-rueckt-frauen-in-den-fokus (accessed on 29 October 2025).

The founding group around the physician Eva Waldschütz, the web designer Uta Kroder, the physician Dagmar Hertle and the teacher Ulrike Mecking-Kroder began by writing biographies and building the website and the city map. Quality standards for the biographical work and criteria for inclusion in the city map were developed.6Bossy, Nina (2023): Ein Stadtplan mit Frauen-Power. In: Wuppertaler Rundschau, article dated 11 February. Available online at: https://www.wuppertaler-rundschau.de/lokales/online-projekt-stadtplan-in-wuppertal-mit-frauen-power_aid-84705663 (accessed on 29 October 2025). 7Rüth, Katharina (2024): Mehr Sichtbarkeit für Frauen aus Wuppertal. In: Westdeutsche Zeitung, article dated 8 March. Available online at: https://www.wz.de/nrw/wuppertal/mehr-sichtbarkeit-fuer-frauen-aus-wuppertal_aid-108492471 (accessed on 29 October 2025). 8n. a. (2023): ELBA-Talk mit Eva Waldschütz. In: Radio Wuppertal, item dated 12 February. Available online at: https://www.radiowuppertal.de/artikel/elba-talk-mit-eva-waldschuetz-1565185.html (accessed on 29 October 2025).

First project: taking stock

The association’s own survey of street names in Wuppertal found that, of the 2,164 streets and squares in Wuppertal, only about 3.3% have so far been named after women, but about 27% after men – in each case including first names and fairy-tale characters. Only about 1% of the streets in Wuppertal are named after specific women (as of October 2025).9n. a. (2023): ELBA-Talk mit Eva Waldschütz. In: Radio Wuppertal, item dated 12 February. Available online at: https://www.radiowuppertal.de/artikel/elba-talk-mit-eva-waldschuetz-1565185.html (accessed on 29 October 2025).

Participation project: Wupperfrauen in die Öffentlichkeit

On 11 February 2023, the project was presented to a broad public at a launch event in the foyer of the Pina-Bausch-Zentrum Under Construction. The project met with great interest; around 200 people attended the event.10Rüth, Katharina (2024): Mehr Sichtbarkeit für Frauen aus Wuppertal. In: Westdeutsche Zeitung, article dated 8 March. Available online at: https://www.wz.de/nrw/wuppertal/mehr-sichtbarkeit-fuer-frauen-aus-wuppertal_aid-108492471 (accessed on 29 October 2025). 11n. a. (2023): ELBA-Talk mit Eva Waldschütz. In: Radio Wuppertal, item dated 12 February. Available online at: https://www.radiowuppertal.de/artikel/elba-talk-mit-eva-waldschuetz-1565185.html (accessed on 29 October 2025). 12n. a. (2023): Wer kennt diese Frau? In: Website of the Pina Bausch Zentrum. Available online at: https://pinabauschzentrum.de/mediathek/2023-02/wupperfrauen (accessed on 29 October 2025).

From the outset, the undertaking was designed as a participation project in order to reach and become rooted in as broad a section of the city’s population as possible. Interested people were and continue to be approached regularly and invited to contributors’ meetings. These meetings allow for an exchange on the current state of the biographical work, on ideas and on opportunities to get involved, and they serve as a networking opportunity.13n. a. (n.d.): Über uns. In: Website of the Wupperfrauen. Available online at: https://wupperfrauen.de/ueber-uns (accessed on 29 October 2025).

Areas of work

Biographies and interactive city map

Inauguration of the memorial site for Adeline Rittershaus on 6 September 2024
Photo: Christian Günther

At the heart of the voluntary work is writing women’s biographies and further developing the interactive women’s city map. Women with a connection to Wuppertal from the fields of fine art and painting, literature, music, dance, acting, theatre and directing, sport, religion, medicine, science and research, politics and society, as well as businesswomen, are presented by means of short biographies with pictures and, where available, film and sound material, and are located on a city map at the place where they worked, lived or were born. At present, the period covered extends from the 16th century to the present day.14Hagemeyer, Martin (2024): In Erinnerung an die Wuppertalerin Regina Bruce. In: Westdeutsche Zeitung, article dated 14 December. Available online at: https://www.wz.de/nrw/wuppertal/eine-tafel-im-rex-theater-wuerdigt-die-frau-die-vor-ueber-120-jahren-in-wuppertal-geboren-wurde_aid-122108361 (accessed on 29 October 2025). 15n. a. (2023): Vorstellung des Projekts. Bericht und Interview mit Dr. Dagmar Hertle. In: WDR Lokalzeit Bergisches Land, broadcast dated 13 February. Available online at: https://www.wupperfrauen.de/images/lokal-zeit.mp4 (accessed on 29 October 2025).

The biographies concern women of regional, national and international importance and influence. But women whose life stories are exemplary for their time are also presented. The focus here is on their social situation or their background, exceptional commitment, a particular talent or extraordinary courage. In particular, the aim is also to honour women who pioneered equality and support for women.16Personal conversation with Dr Dagmar Hertle, co-founder of Wupperfrauen e. V., on 19 August 2025. 17n. a. (2023): ELBA-Talk mit Eva Waldschütz. In: Radio Wuppertal, item dated 12 February. Available online at: https://www.radiowuppertal.de/artikel/elba-talk-mit-eva-waldschuetz-1565185.html (accessed on 29 October 2025).

Memorial sites and commemorative events

Claudia Müller at the inauguration of the memorial plaque for Cläre Tisch on 9 June 2024
Photo: Christian Günther

The association initiates and takes part in the creation of memorial sites in public spaces. In 2024, for example, a memorial plaque for the Iceland scholar Dr Adeline Rittershaus was installed at Emil-Rittershaus-Straße 5, the street named after her father. In cooperation with Frauenorte NRW (Women’s Places NRW), two women have been honoured with memorial plaques:18Rüth, Katharina (2024): Mehr Sichtbarkeit für Frauen aus Wuppertal. In: Westdeutsche Zeitung, article dated 8 March. Available online at: https://www.wz.de/nrw/wuppertal/mehr-sichtbarkeit-fuer-frauen-aus-wuppertal_aid-108492471 (accessed on 29 October 2025). the economist Dr Cläre Tisch is commemorated at the Begegnungsstätte Alte Synagoge (Old Synagogue Meeting Centre),19Diekhans, Daniel (2024): Erster Frauenort in Wuppertal eingeweiht. In: Westdeutsche Zeitung, article dated 11 June. Available online at: https://www.wz.de/nrw/wuppertal/erster-frauenort-in-wuppertal-eingeweiht_aid-114295891 (accessed on 29 October 2025). and a further plaque in the Rex Filmtheater recalls Regina Bruce, a Togolese woman from Wuppertal.20Hagemeyer, Martin (2024): In Erinnerung an die Wuppertalerin Regina Bruce. In: Westdeutsche Zeitung, article dated 14 December. Available online at: https://www.wz.de/nrw/wuppertal/eine-tafel-im-rex-theater-wuerdigt-die-frau-die-vor-ueber-120-jahren-in-wuppertal-geboren-wurde_aid-122108361 (accessed on 29 October 2025). 21n. a. (2023): Vorstellung des Projekts. Bericht und Interview mit Dr. Dagmar Hertle. In: WDR Lokalzeit Bergisches Land, broadcast dated 13 February. Available online at: https://www.wupperfrauen.de/images/lokal-zeit.mp4 (accessed on 29 October 2025).

Lectures and political work

Opening of the FrauenOrt (Women’s Place) for Regina Bruce on 12 December 2024
Photo: Stefanie vom Stein

The Wupperfrauen are regularly invited by a wide variety of actors and organisations, such as associations, women’s groups, discussion circles, etc., to present the project and the story (or stories) of the women on the city map in lectures and panel discussions. Occasional city walks (on request only) and events on the subject of equality round off the association’s activities.22Personal conversation with Dr Dagmar Hertle, co-founder of Wupperfrauen e. V., on 19 August 2025. 23n. a. (2025): Frauen in Wuppertal: Wie geht’s euch eigentlich? In: Under Construction Wuppertal. Available online at: https://under-construction-wuppertal.de/events/sept-2025/frauen-in-wuppertal-wie-geht-s-euch-eigentlich (accessed on 29 October 2025).

Social media

The association is also active on Instagram for networking and to reach younger people who are interested.

Networks and cooperation

The Wupperfrauen work together with many local and supra-regional organisations and networks in Wuppertal.24n. a. (n.d.): Mitwirkende. In: Website of the Wupperfrauen. Available online at: https://wupperfrauen.de/mitwirkende (accessed on 29 October 2025).

Organisational structure/funding

Organisation

The registered association consists of a core team that acts as the point of contact for the other contributors. Both the core team and all other contributors work on a voluntary basis. Meetings for contributors and interested people take place about twice a year. Services that cannot be provided in-house, and costs arising from running the website and from events, are financed through donations and funding.25Personal conversation with Dr Dagmar Hertle, co-founder of Wupperfrauen e. V., on 19 August 2025.

Raising donations and funding

The association is recognised as a non-profit organisation and raises donations on the donation platform betterplace.org.26n. a. (n.d.): Wupperfrauen – Sichtbarmachen von Frauen in Wuppertal. In: Website of betterplace.org. Available online at: https://www.betterplace.org/de/projects/111191-wupperfrauen-sichtbarmachen-von-frauen-in-wuppertal (accessed on 29 October 2025). For individual activities of the association, applications for financial support are submitted, e.g. to the Ministerium für Heimat, Kommunales, Bau und Digitalisierung des Landes NRW (North Rhine-Westphalia Ministry for Home Affairs, Local Government, Building and Digitalisation), the Sparkasse Wuppertal, the Ministerium für Kinder, Jugend, Familie, Gleichstellung, Flucht und Integration des Landes NRW (North Rhine-Westphalia Ministry for Children, Youth, Family, Equality, Refugees and Integration), the Landesarbeitsgemeinschaft Lesben in NRW (State Working Group of Lesbians in NRW) and Anders & Gleich.27Rüth, Katharina (2024): Mehr Sichtbarkeit für Frauen aus Wuppertal. In: Westdeutsche Zeitung, article dated 8 March. Available online at: https://www.wz.de/nrw/wuppertal/mehr-sichtbarkeit-fuer-frauen-aus-wuppertal_aid-108492471 (accessed on 29 October 2025). 28Personal conversation with Dr Dagmar Hertle, co-founder of Wupperfrauen e.V., on 19 August 2025.

Team

The association’s team consists of eight women. More than 50 contributors are involved in Wupperfrauen e. V.29n. a. (n.d.): Mitwirkende. In: Website of the Wupperfrauen. Available online at: https://wupperfrauen.de/mitwirkende (accessed on 29 October 2025).

Awards and prizes

Press reviews

External links

 

This article was written as part of a cooperation with the Wupperfrauen.

Author: Petra Bald in collaboration with Dr Dagmar Hertle

Machine translation: This article was translated automatically from the German original.

Empfohlene Zitierweise
  • Petra Bald, Dagmar Hertle
  • : Wupperfrauen e. V.. In: Equalpedia. 
  • Online unter: 
https://www.equalpedia.org/en/wupperfrauen-e-v-2/
  • (Zugriff am 26. September 2026).