'Freedom' was the key word for Emilie Paravicini-Blumer (1808-1885), with which she protested against her marriage to a mentally limited man, supported the Polish struggle for independence, and challenged the therapeutic monopoly of doctors. 'Equality' was the starting point of Josephine Stadlin's (1806-1875) demand for a nationwide seminar for female teachers, her involvement in public school debates, and her claims as an educated private scholar with pedagogical and historical expertise. Based on a rich collection of personal letters, the two biographies provide a multifaceted approach to the history of the liberal awakening in Europe. They connect the formation of the Swiss nation-state with the inner worlds and strategies of action of educated women, thus transcending their individual experiences. The common thread.