Adelheid-Popp-Gasse, named in 2011 after Adelheid Popp (1869-1939), a feminist and socialist who worked as a journalist and politician.

Popp grew up in poorest conditions. As a 10-year-old she had to drop out of school to earn money for her family. She worked as a domestic worker, as a seamstress‘ apprentice and factory worker.

In the 1880s she became interested in politics. A friend of her brother introduced her to the working class social movement and social democratic newspapers and literature. She realized that poverty was universal and a product of an unjust society.

At 17, she gave a speech about the unbearable situation of working women.

Popp was the first professional politician in Austria, who was hired by her party. From 1890 she spoke in all parts of the monarchy. She joined the Working Women‘s Educational Association, where she later served as a member of the board.  In 1898 she became a member of the Social Democratic Women‘s Committee.

Adelheid Popp became the editor-in-chief of the social women‘s newspaper, Die Arbeiterinnenzeitung, in October 1892. 

Adelheid Popp participated in 1893 in organizing one of the first women‘s strike. 700 workers called for a three-week strike to cut working hours and improve working conditions.

In 1894 she would marry Julius Popp.

In 1901, Adelheid Popp became the director of the Union of Homeworkers. Against the considerable resistance of the top of her own party she initiated with Therese Schlesinger 1902 the Association of Social Democratic Women and Girls. From 1907 she was a member of the International Social Democratic Women‘s Committee, which she chaired in 1916.

Adelheid Popp, who already demanded a form of quota regulation at the party congress in 1896 and decisively supported the active and passive women‘s suffrage, was one of the first female deputies in Austria. Popp proposed bills for family law reform, which focused on overturning men‘s unlimited power as heads of households. She also fought for the legalization of abortion and equal pay.