Background
Hildegard Freund was born into a liberal Jewish family in Germany.
Hildegard Freund was born into a liberal Jewish family in Germany.
She studied literature, philosophy and sociology in Switzerland and Berlin and obtained a Doctor of Philosophy in 1908.
The industrialist"s wife soon started to interest herself in the social issues of the day, especially concerning the working conditions and spiritual welfare of the poor. In 1912, she founded the Society of Christian Women Working at Home and in 1918 the Society for Social Help. On October 4, 1919, Hildegard Burjan founded the congregation of sisters named Caritas Socialis.
She concerned herself especially with issues such as equal wages for men and women and social security for the working class as well as social and spiritual care for poor families.
The beatification process for Hildegard Burjan was initiated in 1963 by Cardinal Franz König, then Archbishop of Vienna. On July 6, 2007, she was declared a Venerable, and on January 29, 2012, she was proclaimed blessed in Saint Stephen"s cathedral in Vienna, Austria.
On Thursday 11 June, 2015, a memorial was official revealed and blessed at a special Mass held at Saint Stephan"s cathedral. The blessing was conducted by Weihbischof DDr. Helmut Krätzl and Erzbischof Doctor Peter Zurbriggen.
Beginning in 1918, Hildegard Burjan was also politically active in the Christian-Social Party.
In 1919, she became one of the first female members of the Parliament of Austria.