Born: 8 September 1893, Chile
Died: 24 December 1921
Country most active: Chile
Also known as: María Teresa Wilms Montt, Tebal, Teresa de la Cruz, Thérèse Wilms Montt
The following bio was written by Emma Rosen, author of On This Day She Made History: 366 Days With Women Who Shaped the World and This Day In Human Ingenuity & Discovery: 366 Days of Scientific Milestones with Women in the Spotlight, and has been republished with permission.
María Teresa Wilms Montt, also known as Thérèse Wilms Montt, was a Chilean writer and poet known for her anarcha-feminist beliefs. She associated with prominent writers like Ramón Gómez de la Serna, Enrique Gómez Carrillo, Joaquín Edwards Bello, Víctor Domingo Silva, and Ramón Valle-Inclán.
Teresa Wilms Montt married Gustavo Balmaceda Valdés at 17, against her family’s wishes, and had two children.
In Santiago, she became involved in the city’s cultural scene. During 1912-1915, she lived in Iquique, where she associated with feminists, trade unionists, and Masons, using the pseudonym Tebal. Her affair with her husband’s cousin led to a family decision for her to spend time at the Convento de la Preciosa Sangre, where she struggled with depression and made a suicide attempt.
In 1916, she escaped the convent with Vicente Huidobro’s help, fled to Buenos Aires, and became part of the city’s intellectual circle. She published works like “Inquietudes Sentimentales” and “Los Tres Cantos,” exploring themes of eroticism and spirituality. After an admirer’s suicide and accusations of being a German spy, she was deported to Spain during World War I. In Spain, she published under the pseudonym Teresa de la Cruz and became a muse for writers like Julio Romero de Torres.
Travels took her to London and Paris, but she primarily resided in Madrid. She reunited with her daughters in Paris in 1920 but fell into depression when they returned to Chile. On 24 December 1921, at 28, she ended her life in Paris with a Veronal overdose and is buried in Père Lachaise Cemetery.