The papers in this collection may be divided into two series: photocopies of primary sources of Mathilde Anneke (primarily dating 1850s-1870s) and the research notes and writings of Maria Wagner (1970s-1980s). The bulk of the collection is in German with many items handwritten in German Gothic script. Maria Wagner's notes are in both German and English.
The MATHILDE ANNEKE series consists of biographical information, correspondence, and various published materials by Anneke. The biographical materials include sketches of her life, photocopies of photos of Fritz and Mathilde as well as photos of their gravestones, Mathilde's childhood home, and other sites presumably taken by Maria Wagner. Also included are photocopies of their naturalization papers and many newspaper articles announcing Mathilde's death and offering retrospectives of her life.
The correspondence is arranged by correspondent and grouped by date and for the most part consists of photocopies of handwritten letters with a typed copy attached. About half of the letters are between Fritz and Mathilde, the others relate to Cecilie Kapp and Edmund Maerklein. The general correspondence includes copies of letters from Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Mary Booth, and other notables among the Annekes' acquaintances of the time.
The published materials consist of copies of most of Mathilde Anneke's articles published in newspapers, her play Oithono, and several poems, all of which express Mathilde's thoughts and opinions about women's rights, slavery, and the world in general.
The MARIA WAGNER series consists of background research, correspondence, and articles by Wagner and about her and her research. The background research consists of photocopied articles and chapters about Mathilde and her husband's lives and accomplishments and the world in which they lived. Topics covered include smallpox and smallpox vaccinations (one of the Anneke children died from smallpox), Abraham Lincoln, Democrats and Republicans, 48er's, German Americans, immigrants and assimilation, as well as information on Milwaukee and woman's suffrage.
The correspondence documents Wagner's research process and the process of getting her book published and also includes correspondence with Hildegard Blackwell and Ingeborg Smith, both descendants of Mathilde.
The writings consist of several articles written by Maria, outlines and drafts of sections of her book, and some research notes. Articles include “Mathilde Franziska Anneke: An Early Westphalian Feminist,” “Mathilde Franziska Anneke - die grosse Toechter der roten Erde,” “Militant Feminism in the German Woman's Press of 1852 and 1977 in Germany and America,” “Die Anneke-Salon - eine Keimzelle der Revolution von 1848,” and many more. Also included are reviews of Maria Wagner's publications, a copy of her curriculum vitae, and information on a presentation she gave at the University of Wisconsin's Max Kade Institute.
