Reifenstein schools

The concept was initiated by Ida von Kortzfleisch, a Prussian noble woman and early German feminist.

Under the German Empire until the early 20th century, household services played a central role in the employment of women.

Young men at this time often gained skills from winter schools and various professional educational institutions.

Earlier works, like the Hausväterliteratur (Hlaford books, a German kind of early economic literature) addressed the pater familias, male and noble heads of larger rural households.

[4] In 1894, Ida von Kortzfleisch published an article in Tägliche Rundschau, a Berlin newspaper, called The Female compulsory service in the economist college for women.

The noble background of various pupils and the close connection to the Protestant church lead to some clashes with the regime.

Marie-Elisabeth Lüders reported about mocking remarks from Berlin friends about the rural sites and backgrounds of the schools.

The name of Maid (older German for Miss or maiden) refers to the acronym Mut, Ausdauer, Idealismus und Demut (Courage, perseverance, idealism and humility).

The symbols worne by the Maiden are valuable collectors items in the meanwhile, some tried to relate them with the Arbeitsmaiden of the Nazi Reichsarbeitsdienst, which are however not connected in any way.