Elvira Castner

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Elvira Castner (photo probably from 1914, on the occasion of her 70th birthday)

Elvira Castner (born March 12, 1844 in Zempelburg , West Prussia , † July 13, 1923 in Berlin-Marienfelde ) was a German teacher, dentist and suffragette. In 1894 she founded the first horticultural school for women.

Life

Elvira Castner was the fifth of twelve children of the pharmacist and later estate owner Philipp Castner (1803–1867) and his wife Mathilde Nadal (1817–1898). Her mother, who looked after her parents' garden, gave her and her siblings an understanding of horticulture at an early age.

From 1859 to 1861 she attended the 1st state teacher training college in Poznan . She then worked for a short time as an educator before taking a position as a teacher at the municipal elementary school in Jastrow (West Prussia) . Since she developed a chronic hoarseness, she had to give up this activity after a few years.

Castner wanted to study dentistry, but since the German universities did not allow women to study , she studied dentistry in Baltimore in the USA from 1876 to 1878 . After graduating as a Doctor of Dental Surgery , she returned to Germany, first representing Henriette Hirschfeld-Tiburtius and then opening her own dental practice in Berlin.

In 1891 she bought a house in Friedenau , in whose garden she planted extensive vegetable crops and fruit trees.

Fruit and horticultural school for women

During her stay in America, she noticed in the port of Baltimore how large quantities of fruit, especially apples, were loaded here for export to Germany. She then had the idea that fruit growing in Germany should be promoted. In their eyes, this was a suitable task for young women.

Almost twenty years later, Castner wanted to implement the idea that emerged at the time and found horticultural schools for women. At first she tried to found a cooperative, but could not find enough interested parties to participate. Therefore, she decided to open a school without outside help.

On October 1, 1894, Castner opened the first fruit and horticultural school for women on the properties in Fregestraße 40 and 41. In the first year, 7 students attended the school, in the second year 16 students.

Fruit and horticultural school in Marienfelde

A few years later, she had the opportunity to buy an area of ​​14 acres in Marienfelde , on which she had her own schoolhouse built. In 1899 the horticultural school with 32 students moved to Marienfelde, where there was the possibility of accepting more students on the larger site. This site had the address Berliner Strasse 5–6 and was between Bismarckstrasse (since 1947: Beißstrasse) and Emilienstrasse.

On average, between 60 and 70 young women attended school each year. On Castner's 70th birthday in 1913, almost 700 women had already attended the horticultural school; after 25 years of existence (1919), the thousandth registration was counted. The graduates were between 16 and 50 years old, there was no upper limit for age for admission as a schoolgirl, however, a “school leaving certificate from the first class of a secondary school for girls” was required for admission.

In addition to the two-year full-time training, the school also offered horticultural courses for teachers, which took place in spring and autumn. These courses were funded by the Ministry of Culture.

Castner managed the school himself into old age and ensured that the teaching program was continuously developed.

The fruit and horticultural school was closed in 1922, and the site and buildings were sold to the Deutsche Reichsbahn . The buildings were destroyed in the Second World War .

Memberships and honors

Castner was a member from 1894 member of the German Horticultural Society .

In recognition of the founding of the horticultural school for women, Empress Castner awarded the silver cross of merit on a white ribbon .

Publications

  • What is the social significance of the participation of women's work in horticulture . 1897.
  • The woman as a gardener . 1900.
  • Fruit growing and horticulture, a line of business f. educated women . 1895.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Pomeranian Gender Book . Eighth volume. In: German gender book . tape 155 . C. A: Starke, Limburg an der Lahn 1971, p. 61 ( archive.org ).
  2. ↑ Bert Morio: Holtenauer history. The Holtenau fruit and horticultural school for women. Retrieved on April 28, 2018 (see footnote: "In the documents of the" Arbeitskreis Historisches Marienfelde "there is an excerpt (copy) from the Marienfelde burial book from 1923. Accordingly, Ms. Elvira Castner died on July 13, 1923 and was on The urn burial took place on July 18, 1923 "(eMail from Godwin T. Petermann).).
  3. ↑ a b c d e f Anna Blum: Dr. Elvira Castner, a seventy year old! In: The teacher: organ of the General German Teachers' Association. 30th year 1913/1914, issue 50, p. 397
  4. ↑ Ernst Bahr, Gerd Brausch (Ed.): Old Prussian Biography . tape 3 . Elwert, Marburg / Lahn 1975, p. 880 .
  5. ↑ Castner, Miss. Dr. Elvira. In: Sophie Pataky : Lexicon of German women of the pen. Volume 1, Berlin 1898, pp. 124-125
  6. ↑ a b c d e f Marie Schaper: Miss Dr. Elvira Castner. In: Deutsche Gartenbau-Gesellschaft: Gartenflora - magazine for horticulture and flower science. 63rd year, Kommissions-Verlag by Rudolf Mosse, Berlin 1914, pp. 108-109
  7. ↑ Dr. Olga Knischewsky: Personal news - Castner, Miss. Elvira . In: Max Hesdörffer (Hrsg.): Die Gartenwelt - Illustrated weekly for the entire horticultural sector . tape XVIII , no. 11 . Paul Parey, Berlin March 14, 1914, p. 156 ( archive.org [accessed May 3, 2018]).
  8. ↑ August Scherl (Ed.): Address book for Berlin and its suburbs - using official sources . V. Part. Suburbs of Berlin. tape 2 , 1898, p. 187 ( zlb.de [accessed April 30, 2018]). : At the time, this address was politically assigned to the town of Steglitz, only by post to the town of Friedenau.
  9. ↑ Dr. Elvira Castner: The fruit and horticultural school for women . In: Friedenauer Lokal-Anzeiger . 5th year, no. 116 , September 29, 1898 ( zlb.de [accessed April 28, 2018]).
  10. ↑ a b c Felicitas Glade: From the "maidens in the green" - vocational training for "higher daughters" in horticultural schools for women . Ed .: Rainer Hering (= publications of the Schleswig-Holstein State Archives [Ed.]: The order of nature - lectures on historical gardens and parks in Schleswig-Holstein . Volume 96 ). S. 121–142 ( uni-hamburg.de [PDF; accessed on May 3, 2018]).
  11. ^ Elisabeth Meyer-Renschhausen: Gardens create peace. In: taz . July 5, 2005, p. 23
  12. ↑ August Scherl (Ed.): Address book for Berlin and its suburbs - using official sources . V. Suburbs of Berlin. 1921, p. 182 ( zlb.de [accessed on May 5, 2018]).
  13. ^ Karl Fritz: The training of the female youth in horticulture . In: Max Hesdörffer (Hrsg.): Die Gartenwelt - Illustrated weekly for the entire horticultural sector . tape XVII , no. 28 . Paul Parey, Berlin July 12, 1913, p. 389 ( archive.org [accessed May 3, 2018]).
  14. ^ Reifensteiner Verband - Association of former Reifensteiners eV (ed.): Fruit and horticultural school in Marienfelde near Berlin . ( reifensteiner-verband.de [PDF; accessed April 30, 2018]).
  15. ↑ a b c Herrmann AL Degener (Ed.): Who is it? - Our contemporaries . Contemporary Lexicon, entry Castner, Miss Elvira. No. III . HA Ludwig Degener, Leipzig 1908.
personal data
SURNAME Castner, Elvira
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German teacher, dentist and women's rights activist
DATE OF BIRTH March 12, 1844
PLACE OF BIRTH Zempelburg , West Prussia
DATE OF DEATH July 13, 1923
Place of death Berlin-Marienfelde