The legal position of women from 1848 to 1918 in Croatian territory was mostly prescribed by the General Civil Code. It was passed in 1811. It was gradually introduced in Dalmatia and Istria from 1814 to 1820, and in Croatia and Slavonia it came into force only in 1853. The General Civil Code was based on the principle of equality, freedom of will and freedom and consent of the parties when entering into legal transactions. Thus, he equalized the position of women with the position of men, however, women could not be witnesses to wills and deeds, guardians or tutors. They acquired this right only at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century. A marriage between two people of different sexes was concluded by a wedding, and there should not have been any legal obstacle. If two people who were of different religions got married, the General Civil Code stipulated that daughters follow the religion of the mother and sons follow the religion of the father. The Catholic Church was opposed to this and prescribed that when one of the spouses is Catholic, all children must follow the Catholic faith. According to the General Civil Code, property in marriage was separated, however, the husband had the right to dispose of and enjoy his wife's property without her consent. When inheriting, the spouse was considered the legal heir. If there were descendants with the spouse, he only had the right to usufruct on the estate. When inheriting, a woman had the right to ordinary maintenance. This meant that she could stay in the apartment where she lived during the marriage, but only for a period of six weeks after her husband's death. Another important feature of the General Civil Code was that it did not restrict women's freedom to exercise their own profession. Thus, women took the first steps towards employment and the public sphere of life. The job of a teacher was the first profession that provided secure and stable employment for women and provided them with economic independence. However, female teachers were prohibited from working after marriage and were considered to have voluntarily renounced their service by marrying. Later, she could only marry a teacher, only in the middle of the 20th century was this provision abolished.