Katarzyna Wężyk

“Emancypantki: A Forgotten Herstory Reimagined” is a book project uncovering the lives, struggles, and ideas of Polish women who fought for emancipation at the turn of the 20th century. Overlooked in nationalist narratives focused on independence, these women demanded education, political rights, and professional opportunities—often challenging rigid gender roles, Catholic norms, and patriarchal ideals. The book weaves together herstory, immersive storytelling, and intersectional feminism to explore how Polish emancipationists navigated tensions between personal freedom and national duty, femininity and radicalism. From Romantic dreamers to pioneers of female education, socialist firebrands, and suffragist activists, many led unorthodox lives that defied societal expectations, questioning gender binaries and envisioning new forms of agency. “Emancypantki” bridges academic research and public history, offering a vivid, accessible account that situates Polish feminism within broader European and global contexts. By recovering these often forgotten voices, the project aims to reshape our understanding of gender, power, and resistance in Polish history.