Josepha von Siebold

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Regina Josepha von Siebold , née Henning, used. Heiland (born December 14, 1771 in Geismar , † February 28, 1849 in Darmstadt ) was the first woman in Germany to receive an honorary doctorate on September 6, 1815 . It was awarded to her for her services to the "art of childbirth" (obstetrics) .

biography

Josepha Henning was born on December 14, 1771 as the daughter of an Electorate of Mainz and was initially brought up very liberally for the time. At the age of ten she entered a boarding school run by Ursulines . Shortly before her 16th birthday, she married the government councilor Georg Heiland. From this first marriage there were four children, including the daughter Charlotte Heidenreich von Siebold (1788-1859). Georg Heiland died when Josepha was 22 years old. Josepha Heiland then married her doctor Damian von Siebold (1768–1828) two years later (1795), who came from a very important family of doctors, but was initially only a simple country doctor before he became a medical officer.

Damian was unable to support his family of seven because of an illness. In order to increase the family income, Josepha moved from her place of residence in Darmstadt to Würzburg and began studying obstetrics, an unusual career path for a woman at the time. She obtained a special permit to study with her brother-in-law Adam Elias von Siebold in Würzburg. She was only allowed to attend the lectures behind a curtain and was not allowed to do any practical exercises. After completing her studies in Würzburg, she gained practical experience in her husband's practice. In November 1807 Josepha von Siebold applied for admission to the state examination at the University of Giessen . The most important argument of their application was the lack of scientific training of the midwives. After passing a four-hour examination before the Darmstadt Medical College, she was admitted to practice as a doctor and began practicing with her husband in Darmstadt and the surrounding area. On September 6, 1815, Ferdinand von Ritgen awarded her an honorary doctorate in childbirth from the University of Giessen .

Josepha von Siebold's eldest daughter Charlotte Heiland (from his first marriage) also received her doctorate from the University of Giessen in 1817 and then practiced together with her mother. Charlotte Heiland, called von Siebold, was the midwife in 1819 in the birth of Alexandrine Victoria of Hanover, who later became Queen Victoria .

Karl Caspar Franz von Siebold (* March 21, 1800, † June 25, 1860) came from his marriage to Damian von Siebold, who became general medical officer and personal physician.

literature

  • Gisela Kaiser: About the admission of women to study medicine using the example of the University of Würzburg. In: Würzburg medical history reports. Volume 14, 1996, pp. 173-184; here: p. 173 f.
  • Gothaisches genealogical pocket book of noble houses. Part B, 1922, p.855

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Hans Körner: The Würzburger Siebold. A family of scholars from the 18th and 19th centuries. Neustadt ad Aisch 1967, pp. 561-582.
  2. ↑ Gisela Kaiser: About the admission of women to study medicine using the example of the University of Würzburg. In: Würzburg medical history reports. Volume 14, 1996, pp. 173-184; here: p. 173.
  3. ↑ Gisela Kaiser: About the admission of women to study medicine using the example of the University of Würzburg. In: Würzburg medical history reports. Volume 14, 1996, pp. 173-184; here: p. 173.
personal data
SURNAME Siebold, Josepha von
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Siebold, Regina Josepha von; Henning, Josepha von (maiden name); Savior, Josepha von (name during her first marriage)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German midwife and first German honorary doctor
BIRTH DATE December 14, 1771
PLACE OF BIRTH Geismar
DATE OF DEATH February 28, 1849
PLACE OF DEATH Darmstadt