Elise Richter, tit. ao. Univ.-Prof. Dr. phil.

2.3.1865 – 21.6.1943
geb. in Wien, Österreich gest. in Ghetto Theresienstadt | Terezín, Tschechische Republik

4th graduated woman at the University of Vienna (Dr. phil., July 2, 1901)
1st woman promoted “Privatdozent” at the University of Vienna (1905/1907)
1st woman with the title “ao. Universitätsprofessors” in Austria (1921)

Ehrungen

Ehrung Titel Datierung Fakultät
Ehrentafel-Fakultät 1981 Philosophische Fakultät

Auf Antrag von Kurt Schubert (Judaistik) und Wolfgang Pollak (Romanistik) beschloss das Fakultätskollegium der Geisteswissenschaftlichen Fakultät im Jänner 1981, die Aufnahme von Elise Richter in die Ehrentafel der Philosophischen Fakultät zu beantragen:

„Elise Richter studierte als eine der ersten Frauen an der Wiener Universität Romanistik, war 1907 erste Privatdozentin Österreichs, 1921 als erste Frau Ao. Professorin. Ihre Arbeiten auf dem Gebiet der Sprachwissenschaft, ihre Befassung mit dem ‚Romanismus‘ sind heute noch richtungsweisend, innerhalb der Romanistik erwies sich E. Richter als Pionier der phonologischen Theorie und Forschungsmethode.“
(Protokoll über die 4. Sitzung des Akademischen Senates am 26. März 1981, in: Archiv der Universität Wien, Akademischer Senat GZ 6 ex 1980/81)

Der Akademische Senat der Universität Wien stimmte dem Antrag in seiner Sitzung vom 26. März 1981 einstimmig zu und die Eintragung wurde Anfang April 1981 beauftragt.

At the request of Kurt Schubert (Jewish Studies) and Wolfgang Pollak (Romance Studies), the Faculty Board of the Faculty of Humanities decided in January 1981 to apply for Elise Richter to be included in the Faculty of Humanities' plaque of honor:

„Elise Richter was one of the first women to study Romance Studies at the University of Vienna, was Austria's first private lecturer in 1907, and the first woman to become Ao. Professor in 1921. Her work in the field of linguistics and her involvement with 'Romanism' are still trend-setting today; within Romance studies, E. Richter proved to be a pioneer of phonological theory and research methods.“

(Minutes of the 4th meeting of the Academic Senate on March 26, 1981, in: Archive of the University of Vienna, RA GZ 6 ex 1980/81)

The Academic Senate of the University of Vienna unanimously approved the motion at its meeting on March 26, 1981, and the registration was commissioned at the beginning of April 1981.

Denkmal Reliefporträt im Institut für Romanistik 1985 Geisteswissenschaftliche Fakultät
Tor der Erinnerung Richter-Tor 1998 Geisteswissenschaftliche Fakultät
Raumbenennung Elise-Richter-Saal 2003 Geistes- und Kulturwissenschaftliche Fakultät
Stipendien/Preise/Stiftungen Elise-Richter-Programm 2005 (2024 eingestellt)

Die beiden Programmschienen zur Karriereentwicklung für Wissenschafterinnen orientieren sich dabei nach der jeweiligen Qualifikationsstufe: Während „Hertha Firnberg“ (seit 1999) Forscherinnen am Beginn ihrer wissenschaftlichen Karriere fördert, unterstützt „Elise Richter“ (seit 2005) Wissenschafterinnen mit dem Ziel der Qualifikation zur Bewerbung um eine in- oder ausländischeProfessur.“ [Broschüre 10 Jahre Firnberg-Richter, 2010]

Im Juli 2024 stellte der FWF (Fonds zur Förderung von Wissenschaft und Forschung) das Senior-Postdoc Elise-Richter Programm sowie das Elise-Richter-PEEK-Programm (für künstlerisch-wissenschaftlich tätige Frauen) ein und verleiht stattdessen die ASTRA-Preise.

 “The two program tracks for career development for female scientists are oriented towards the respective qualification level: While “Hertha Firnberg” (since 1999) supports female researchers at the beginning of their scientific career, “Elise Richter” (since 2005) supports female scientists with the aim of qualifying them to apply for a domestic or foreign professorship.” [Brochure 10 years of Firnberg-Richter, 2010]

In July 2024, the FWF (Austrian Science Fund) discontinued the Senior Postdoc Elise Richter Program and the Elise Richter PEEK Program (for women working in the arts and sciences) and instead awards the ASTRA Prizes.

Denkmal Arkadenhof 2016 Philologisch-Kulturwissenschaftliche Fakultät

Elise Richter was born as daughter of the head physician of the Southern Railway Company (Südbahngesellschaft) Dr. Maximilian Richter and his wife Emilie (nee Lackenbacher) in Vienna. Because girls were not allowed to visit schools regularly, Elise and her older sister Helene Richter (later anglist and theater scientist) received private lessons at home.
From 1891 on Elise Richter was permitted to visit individual lectures at the University of Vienna as a guest student. When women were allowed to graduate from high school in Austria, she was the first woman to receive graduation at the Akademische Gymnasium in Wien 1, Beethovenplatz 1, as external student in 1897. As one of the first women she began to study at the Philosophical School of the University of Vienna as ordinary student in the same year. She took lectures in Romanistic studies, General Linguistics, Classical Philology and German Philology and graduated in 1901with the academic degree 'Dr. phil.'.
Elise Richter was also the first woman, who was promoted to “Privatdozent” at the University of Vienna and got the venia legendi and an untenured lectureship position for Romance language in 1907. In 1921 she was appointed titular associate professor (tit. ao. Prof.) and received an University teaching position for Romance Linguistics, Literature and Phonetics. In 1928 she became head of the department of phonetics at the University of Vienna. She never received the title of an full professor. From the founding in 1922 on she chaired the Association of Austrian Academic Women (Verband der Akademikerinnen Österreichs).
Richter researched on the field of (Romance) Linguistics with an emphasis on phonetics and phonology. Her scientific works also dealt with the psychological basis of the linguistic process. In the area of Language History she researched the internal connection in the development of Romance languages.

Elise Richter was persecuted in times of Nazism as a Jew lost her position and was thrown out of the university in 1938.
Along with her sister Helene, Elise Richter stayed in Vienna. Her last scientific papers (dated 1940 to 1942) could only be published in the Netherlands and in Italy. On Oktober 10th, 1942, she was deported to Theresienstadt, where she died a few months later.

The University of Cologne took possession of the library of Elise and Helene Richter (around 3000 books) in 1942. Since 2005 provenance researches are taking place to reconstruct and restitute the library.

In 1981 her name was inscribed to the plaque of honor of the Faculty of Philosophy in the University of Vienna's main building. A Relief at the Department of Romance Studies commemorates her as the first female lecturer at the University of Vienna (since 1985). In 1998 one of the entrances to the campus of the University of Vienna (passageway Garnisongasse 13- court 9), a “Gate of Remembrance”, was named after Elise Richter and her sister Elise Richter "Richter-Tor". In 1999 an award for outstanding doctoral dissertations and postdoctoral theses from the German Association of Romance Philology was named in her honor, in 2003 an lecture hall at the University of Vienna (the former conference room of the Faculty of Law in the main building of the University on the Ring), in 2005 a program for the support of scientific careers for women of the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) – Elise Richter Program, discontinued in July 2024 and replaced by the ASTRA Prize – and in 2008 a street in the 21st district in Vienna were named in her honor.
In 2016, the Elise Richter memorial was unveiled in the arcaded courtyard of the University of Vienna (artist: Catrin Bolt).

In 1981 her name was inscribed to the plaque of honor of the Faculty of Philosophy in the University of Vienna's main building. A Relief at the Department of Romance Studies commemorates her as the first female lecturer at the University of Vienna (since 1985). In 1998 one of the entrances to the campus of the University of Vienna (passageway Garnisongasse 13- court 9), a “Gate of Remembrance”, was named after Elise Richter and her sister Elise Richter "Richter-Tor". In 1999 an award for outstanding doctoral dissertations and postdoctoral theses from the German Association of Romance Philology was named in her honor, in 2003 an lecture hall at the University of Vienna (the former conference room of the Faculty of Law in the main building of the University on the Ring), in 2005 a program for the support of scientific careers for women of the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) – Elise Richter Program, discontinued in July 2024 and replaced by the ASTRA Prize – and in 2008 a street in the 21st district in Vienna were named in her honor.
In 2016, the Elise Richter memorial was unveiled in the arcaded courtyard of the University of Vienna (artist: Catrin Bolt).

In 1981 her name was inscribed to the plaque of honor of the Faculty of Philosophy in the University of Vienna's main building. A Relief at the Department of Romance Studies commemorates her as the first female lecturer at the University of Vienna (since 1985). In 1998 one of the entrances to the campus of the University of Vienna (passageway Garnisongasse 13- court 9), a “Gate of Remembrance”, was named after Elise Richter and her sister Elise Richter "Richter-Tor". In 1999 an award for outstanding doctoral dissertations and postdoctoral theses from the German Association of Romance Philology was named in her honor, in 2003 an lecture hall at the University of Vienna (the former conference room of the Faculty of Law in the main building of the University on the Ring), in 2005 a program for the support of scientific careers for women of the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) – Elise Richter Program, discontinued in July 2024 and replaced by the ASTRA Prize – and in 2008 a street in the 21st district in Vienna were named in her honor.
In 2016, the Elise Richter memorial was unveiled in the arcaded courtyard of the University of Vienna (artist: Catrin Bolt).

New researches about Elise Richter focus also her sympathies for the Austro-Fascist regime and her aversion against socialdemocracy.

Katharina Kniefacz, Herbert Posch

Zuletzt aktualisiert am 31.05.2025 - 19:01

Druckversion

Verwandte Inhalte