The Stars of Eternal Truth and Right

Die Waffen nieder!" A mere three words established one woman's lasting repute worldwide. The catchwords (translated "Lay Down Your Arms!") remain a pious wish to the present day, but they bespoke of who the astounding Bertha von Suttner (1843-1914) was: intrepid, recalcitrant, forthright, and spellbinding. Bertha von Suttner - an Austrian novelist, radical (organizational) pacifist, and the first woman to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize - was the type of woman the Belle Époque needed to turn the destiny of womanhood around. Enthused with the ideas of human progress, liberalism, and individualism, 'Peace Bertha' campaigned passionately against social injustice in whatever shape it presented itself, be this overt militarism, rigid conservatism, the oppression of women, or anti-Semitism. The Hague Peace Conferences of 1899 and 1907 were the undisputable highlights of Bertha's long career as an engaged peace activist.