“THE BEARER OF THIS EXTRAORDINARY INFLUENCE ON VARIOUS CIRCLES OF HUMAN SOCIETY IN GORIZA AND PRIMORJA”

written by ROBERT DEVETAK

The life and work of the Gorizia benefactor Angiolina Ritter von Záhony.

If we focus more closely on historical works from both older and modern periods, we can quickly notice that women as actors appear in them very rarely, and their role is either insufficiently taken into account or even omitted. The shift gradually occurred only in the second half of the 20th century, but the gaps remain today and historians still have a lot of work to do to fill in the numerous blank spots with their research (Verginella, Selišnik 2018: 10–14). This gap prevents us from having a deeper understanding of past social processes. A closer look at the sources often reveals a new world that was also significantly shaped by women. This also applies to the Goriška region, where women of different nationalities and social classes left a significant mark in the past. As early as 1888, the Slovenian newspaper Soča from Gorizia published a lengthy article entitled Goričanke , about the women of Gorizia, and among other things, highlighted their social role: ” It must be said that their influence reaches far beyond the cradle and the hearth, beyond the home and city affairs, and even into state and church matters ” ( Soča , 2. 11. 1888, no. 44).

The record was created at a time when women first began to actively enter the public sphere. In the second half of the 19th century, this was still quite limited for them and focused only on certain activities. One of the earlier options of this kind was represented by societies, primarily various charitable organizations, which began to spread in the 19th century, especially in European urban environments. It was one of the main options that women, especially those from the upper social classes, had to enter the public sphere at the transition from 19. in the 20th century. At that time, society perceived charity as an extended activity of caring for the family or “ public motherhood ” (Dudeková 2017: 156). According to the views of the time, women as mothers were naturally qualified for this type of work (Selišnik, Cergol 2016: 239). Their character was associated and defined by society at that time with compassion, emotionality, self-sacrifice and love for their neighbor. Charity opened new doors for women and enabled them to become “ active citizens ” (Porter 2002: 26).

A broad charitable network gradually took shape in Gorizia in the 19th century. In the heart of the Gorizia and Gradiška regions, the city government organized several forms of assistance for the socially disadvantaged population (e.g. orphanages, poorhouses, foundations, public kitchens). Local institutions themselves often failed to effectively deal with the consequences of various social crises, which is why the alleviation of suffering often relied on private initiatives, where most of the work was done primarily by charitable societies. Among the most important were the Ladies’ Association for the Relief of the Poor ( Associazione delle Signore Goriziane a sollievo dei poveri ) and the Caritas Society ( Caritas ), which were founded and led by women. At the same time, it can be emphasized that charity in this period was one of the few activities that, during the period of nationalism, managed to avoid ethnic conflicts to some extent and connect women from Italian, Slovenian, German and other communities. For some members of the societies, their involvement in charity opened the door to a wider public space and placed them in a prominent position in Gorizia society (Devetak 2025: 64–99). More about important women from Gorizia, women’s charity and Gorizia society in transition from 19. in the 20th century, you can read more in the new book “And the homeland calls on its wife again for help”: women’s charitable societies in the Gorizia and Gradiška regions during the Austro-Hungarian period , published by the Trieste Press Publishing House and the Institute for Ethnic Issues.
At this point, we would like to present in more detail one of the most important benefactors of the time, Angiolina Ritter von Zahony.

Angiolina was born on 18 October 1825 into the important Sartorio family of Trieste, which had moved to Trieste from Sanremo in 1775. She was the third and youngest child of Giovanni Guglielmo Sartorio and Caroline Gobbi (Resciniti 2010: 94–96). Gorizia became her home after her marriage to Heinrich Ritter von Záhony, a member of one of the most important Gorizia families, in April 1846. The wedding ceremony at the Montebello estate in Trieste was performed by her father, because the local priest did not want to marry the couple, due to the groom’s Protestant faith (Sartorio 1863: 178–179). The German Ritter von Záhony family, which originated from Frankfurt am Main and moved to Gorizia and Gradisca in 1819, was known primarily for establishing industry in the region. Through their activities and projects, its members have gained an important place in Gorizia society, economy and politics (Marušič 2014: 64–67).

Angiolina Ritter quickly became involved in the city’s public life and forged strong connections with the city’s and noble elite. She established herself as one of the most important women from Gorič, which was also recognized by newspapers, which often reported on her activities: » Because of her noble thinking and boundless generosity, a large number of distinguished gentlemen from Gorizia gather in the rooms of Baroness Angelina Ritter, who can tell about the kindness and friendliness of the high lady. Due to her connection with high circles by blood and kinship, she distributes kindnesses on all sides not only in cash, but also with an influential word, with which she achieves the fulfillment of many a wish that would otherwise always remain unfulfilled. It is natural that because of this, there is almost always a bitter hook in her palace, which various petitioners grasp. Whoever wants for himself or for others some support, recognition, appointment, permission, and whatever all these things are called in human life, hopes that the path to Baroness Angelina cannot harm him. /…/ In electoral matters for the Gorizia city council, she sometimes gave authentic answers and ridiculed many who thought they knew ( Soča , 2. 11. 1888, no. 44).” Her name is also associated with the municipal building in Gorizia. In 1908, she donated the family palace to the Gorizia municipality, which still houses the Gorizia municipal administration today (Gallarotti 1993: 52). In addition to political connections and cooperation with prominent Italian and German political representatives from Gorizia, Angiolina Ritter left her main mark in the field of philanthropic activities.

The aforementioned article in Soča highlighted that he was an exceptionally philanthropic personality: »This lady is distinguished by her great mercy and generosity, with which she wants to invoke the blessing of God on her family. Wherever a charitable enterprise is started in Gorizia, this noble lady is certainly next to her. ( Soča , 2. 11. 1888, no. 44).” Angiolina Ritter can be found in both central charitable societies and at major charitable events throughout most of the second half of the 19th and early 20th centuries. Already in the 1870s, the title ” mother of the poor ” had become established for her ( L’Isonzo , 22. 12. 1875, no. 102). During this period, she first joined the Association of the Ladies of Gorizia for the Relief of the Poor ( Associazione delle Signore Goriziane a sollievo dei poveri ), which brought together several hundred people, among whom female members predominated. The activities were focused on several areas and roughly included the preparation of charity fairs (bazaars), the organization of public kitchens and public events, at which the membership, together with the support of the authorities and the general public, raised funds and drew attention to the problems of the poor population (Devetak 2025: 64–91). Angiolina Ritter was among the more active members and worked as a councilor of the association for several decades. In addition to administrative work, she also helped with frequent and large donations, active involvement in public initiatives, organizing events and encouraging relatives and other noble families from Gorizia to respond to calls for donations. She was also among the founders of the Caritas association, which was established in 1876 at the initiative of the Ritter von Záhony family. The association’s main purpose was to care for the poor population of Gorizia by finding them suitable employment, providing material assistance by distributing clothing and other useful items, especially to women (Devetak 2025: 92–98). She served as a councilor in the association for several decades. She donated large sums of money, clothing, food and other useful items to both associations ( L’Isonzo , 22. 12. 1879, no. 281).

Both she and her family were also involved outside of charitable organizations. On various occasions, they donated large sums of money to the socially disadvantaged in Gorizia and the region. Among other things, family members are among the main supporters of the Gorizia city orphanage ( Alcuni 1903: 50). Angiolina Ritter also organized charity events on her own initiative. At one of them, in 1881, she raised funds to help 80 poor people ( L’Eco del Litorale , 22. 12. 1881, no. 102). Poor families themselves turned to her directly and visited her home, where they tried to help them ( Corriere di Gorizia , 11. 12. 1888, no. 148). In 1883, on her initiative and efforts, the San Giuseppe (St. Joseph) asylum was founded in Gorizia, where orphans and poor girls were raised and cared for. She invested large sums of money in its operation (Gallarotti 1993: 52). Her efforts were also recognized by the state authorities. During her visit to Gorizia in November 1900, Emperor Franz Joseph awarded her the Order of Elizabeth, Second Class. This was an award reserved exclusively for women for extraordinary achievements in the ecclesiastical and charitable fields (Resciniti 2010: 95).

Angiolina Ritter died on 23 July 1910, at the age of 84. She is still remembered today by the street Via Angiolina , located in the western part of Gorizia. The municipality of Gorizia wanted to pay tribute to the benefactor in this way as early as 1895. Antonella Gallarotti highlighted two peculiarities. The first is that the street was named after a living person, and the second is that only the first name and not the surname were used for the name, which indicates the general recognition of the benefactor and her role in Gorizia society (Gallarotti 1993: 52). Her independent and social charitable work had a positive impact on the development of activities in the region, and at the same time it greatly contributed to alleviating the everyday problems of the socially weaker urban population. She used her role and social power for several decades of efforts in the field of social work, thereby gaining respect and reputation among government structures, various social groups, and the general public.

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Sources and literature:

• Corriere di Gorizia , 11/12/1888, no. 148.
• L’Eco del Litorale , 22. 12. 1881, no. 102.
• The Isonzo , 22. 12. 1875, no. 102
• The Isonzo , 22. 12. 1879, no. 281.
• Soca , 2. 11. 1888, no. 44.
• Alcuni cenni storici intorno al Civico istituto per fanciulli abbandonati in Gorizia dall’epoca della sua fondazione fino al presente . Gorizia: Paternolli, 1903.
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• Dudeková, Gabriela: Municipal Social Welfare in Bratislava during the 19th and Early 20th Centuries: Examples and Modernization Trends. Poverty , Charity and Social Welfare in Central Europe in the 19th and 20th Centuries (ed. Fejtová, Olga et al ). Cambridge: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2017, p. 143–162.
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• Selišnik, Irena; Cergol Paradiž, Ana: Women’s work from charity to social work: a historical overview of the development of charity and the beginnings of social work ideas in Slovenia in the years 1850–1941. Social Work , vol. 55, no. 5/6. Ljubljana: Faculty of Social Work, 2016, pp. 239–251.
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