Historical portraits of important European leaders in social work. Alice Masaryk (1879-1966)--Czechoslovakia

Alice Masaryk is one of the most outstanding and most important women personalities of the beginning of the last century's Czech society. Among scholars she is appreciated as long-time President of the Czechoslovak Red Cross, among the public she is known as the daughter of the first President of the Republic of Czechoslovakia, Tomas Garrigue Masaryk. Her importance and position in the social area is wrongly marginalised although her significance for legitimisation and professionalization is unquestionable. She is regarded as one of the first founders of Czech social education, she prepared the project of the first school of social work but she had to resign from its realization for political reasons (it was taken over by Anna Berkovcova). She developed the co-operation in the social field on the international level, and as the President of the Czechoslovak Red Cross she controlled the completion of its sanitary as well as social aims--she initiated the construction of many orphanages, social institutions, schools, founding a number of policlinics and councils, and she supported various social programmes. She promoted sociology, was a women's liberationist and an activist of many movements (for the rights of the disabled, for a healthy life style, for the liberation of Czechoslovakia etc.). Alice Masaryk is undoubtedly a personality that deserves our attention and esteem.