Nynne Koch

Anna Lise (Nynne) Koch (1915–2001) was a Danish feminist, writer and a pioneering researcher in gender studies. After publishing novels in the 1950s, she joined the Royal Danish Library in 1961 where she paved the way for establishing Kvinfo, the Danish Centre for Research on Women and Gender. In the early 1980s, she organized courses on women's studies (feminologie) at the People's University (Folkeuniversitetet) in Copenhagen and edited the journal Forum for Kvindeforskning. Recognizing her contributions to women's studies, Roskilde University awarded her an honorary doctorate in 1986.

Biography

Born in Copenhagen on 13 December 1915, Anna Lise Koch was the daughter of the high court presiding judge Jørgen Hansen Koch (1861–1935) and his wife Anine née Suenson (1881–1948) who had received violin lessons from Carl Nielsen. She had a younger brother, Peter Anton. In 1936, she married the civil engineer Erik Middelboe with whom she had three children, Karen (1938), Lene (1938) and Lone (1938). The marriage was disolved in 1940. In 1945, she married the antique book dealer Niels Kaaber. The marriage was dissolved in 1947. From 1952 to 1961, she partnered the Polish office manager Israel Harry Konzen (1911–1976) with whom she had two children, Jørn (1952) and Kim (1954).

Brought up in a privileged family environment in Amaliegade, she enjoyed considerable freedom although she was expected to achieve substantial accomplishments in life. After being privately tutored, when she was 16 she attended N. Zahle's School but as an outstanding pupil soon moved to the Polyteknisk Læreanstalt where she began to study architecture. However, as a result of her performance, she transferred to engineering. It was here she first experienced discrimination which possibly influenced her interest in feminism.