We are pleased to present a new digital flipbook of Lina Morgenstern’s historic Illustrated Cookbook (1907) – a culinary artefact that helped shape Berlin’s social landscape in the early 20th century.
The digitised copy comes from the holdings of the Leo Baeck Institute New York and is reproduced here with their kind permission.
Lina Morgenstern (1830–1909) was more than a cookbook author. A Jewish social reformer, feminist, and pacifist, she transformed public welfare and women’s rights in 19th-century Germany. Born in Breslau, she began her activism early, founding a league to aid poor schoolchildren at the age of eighteen. After moving to Berlin, she became a pioneer of early childhood education, co-founding the Berlin Kindergarten Association and opening eight kindergartens at a time when such institutions were still banned in Prussia.
Morgenstern’s most celebrated achievement was the creation of Berlin’s first public kitchens (Volksküchen) in 1866. These provided thousands of affordable, nutritious meals each day – especially vital during economic crises and war. Crucially, they operated not on charity, but on solidarity, setting a new model for social welfare across Europe.
Her cookbooks, widely read in their day, were more than collections of recipes. They were educational tools, offering practical advice for healthy, economical cooking and household management. Morgenstern saw food and education as means of empowerment – especially for women.
In addition to her culinary contributions, she founded organisations for child protection, promoted women’s vocational training, and established the Berlin Housewives’ Association. A committed pacifist, she organised the first International Congress of Women in Germany in 1896.
The digitised cookbook, in German and set in Fraktur typeface, is full of charming illustrations and historical insights. We invite you to explore it below.
For more on Lina Morgenstern’s remarkable life, visit: https://www.lbilondon.ac.uk/news/2025/05/feeding-berlin-lina-morgenstern-and-fight-womens-rights.
Part of LBI London’s 70th Anniversary programme: https://www.lbilondon.ac.uk/lbi-70
Courtesy of the Leo Baeck Institute: https://links.cjh.org/primo/lbi/CJH_ALEPH005560645
