"My Unhappy Life": Gender, Poverty and Motherhoodin the Letters of Rachel Marcus (1803–1849)

Abstract: Jews were excluded from the common (Christian) poor relief in Lutheran Sweden until 1899. The law stated that the Jewish communities had to provide for their own poor. One recipient of poor relief was Rachel Marcus, née Raphael (1803–1849). Neither her nor her husband's businesses were able to provide for their family. I examine the nineteen letters she wrote to the directors of the community, seeking relief. As a mother responsible for the moral upbringing of her children, with a husband unable to provide and thus failing in his gender role as breadwinner, Rachel Marcus reflects the ideal poor relief recipient in the view of Swedish society at the time. This article explores her letters and shows how she worked tirelessly to provide for her family, thus providing insight into gendered ideals and the relationship between an impoverished individual and her community's poor relief.