Buchpräsentation: Die Erfindung der Tochter

Book presentation of "The Invention of the Daughter: On Rebels, Heiresses, and the Unwanted," with author Gunda Windmüller in attendance.

Not all women are mothers, but all women are daughters. This role does not disappear as we grow up; it remains the fundamental framework that determines what it means to be a woman. Gunda Windmüller’s new book explores how patriarchal structures take root in families—in economic dependencies as well as in notions of the “right” way to live. She traces the archetypes of the sacrificed, the rebellious, the nurturing, the overlooked, and the unwanted daughter. Her examples range from Iphigenia to Britney Spears, from Mary Tudor to the heirs of today’s public sphere. Often, the mother appears as a blank space in this narrative. The father determines what matters.

As part of the “Reden von morgen” series, Gunda Windmüller will speak at VHS Essen on “The Invention of the Daughter.” The talk explores what her analysis means for future families, for bonds between women, and for a society oriented toward the image of the father. If the daughter was invented: What happens when women tell the stories of their origins differently?

Free admission. Please register here anyway.