Agda Montelius
| Agda Montelius | |
|---|---|
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| Born | 1850 |
| Died | 1920 |
| Known for | Philanthropist, woman's rights activist |
Agda Georgina Dorothea Alexandra Montelius née Reuterskiöld (23 April 1850 in Köping – 27 October 1920) was a Swedish philanthropist and feminist. She was a leading figure of the Swedish philanthropy, active for the struggle of woman suffrage, and chairman of the Fredrika Bremer Association in 1903–1920.
Montelius was the daughter of the government defence minister and noble General-Lieutenant Alexander Reuterskiöld and Anna Schenström. She was educated at the fashionable Girl School Hammarstedtska flickskolan in Stockholm, and married professor Oscar Montelius on 20 September 1871. She is described as diminutive, calm, kind and thoughtful, dutiful and always busy with her many projects. She had a bad eyesight and eventually became blind in one eye. Her own personal ideals was simple and strict. Montelius was regarded as a central figure and an ideal among the women of the higher middle class and upper burger classes in Stockholm, and Lydia Wahlström often engaged her as a so-called exam witness for the students of the Girl college Åhlinska skolan.
Agda Montelius was the leading figure of the Swedish philanthropy in the early 20th century. Her principle was to help people help themselves.
She was member of the comity (1885–1901) and the chairperson (1900–01) of the literary society Nya Idun (New Idun); the Maria skyddsförening (Maria Protection Society) 1879–92, Co-founder and chairperson of Föreningen för välgörenhetens ordnande or FVO (Society of Organised Charity) in 1889–1911 as well as managing director of the FVO central committee in 1911–1920. She was a member of the central comity in the Sällskapet för uppmuntran av öm och sedlig modersvård (Society for the Encouragement of Tender and Decent Motherly Care) in 1901–20, co-founder and comity member of the Centralförbundet för socialt arbete (Central Comity of Social Work) or CSA in 1903-09 and Svenska fattigvårdsförbundet (Swedish Poorcare Society) in 1909–20.
Through her philanthropic work, she also became involved with the work for women's rights. She was a supporter of Difference feminism and believed it to be important for women to participate in politics and the organization and formation of society on order to protect the rights of the sick, the weak and needing and to make society a home.
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