Dorothea Erxleben
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| Dorothea Erxleben | |
|---|---|
 German stamp issued in 1987 in the Women in German history series |
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| Born | 13 November 1715 Quedlinburg, Germany |
| Died | 13 June 1762 (aged 46) Quedlinburg, Germany |
| Nationality | Germany |
| Fields | Medicine |
| Influences | Laura Bassi |
Dorothea Christiane Erxleben née Leporin (13 November 1715, Quedlinburg – 13 June 1762 in Quedlinburg) was the first female medical doctor in Germany[1]
Erxleben was instructed in medicine by her father from an early age[2] The Italian scientist Laura Bassi's university professorship inspired Erxleben to fight for her right to practise medicine. In 1742 she published a tract arguing that women should be allowed to attend university[3]
After being admitted to study by a dispensation of Frederick the Great[2], Erxleben received her M.D. from the University of Halle in 1754.[3] She went on to analyse the obstacles preventing women from studying, among them housekeeping and children.[2]
[edit] Personal life
She was the mother of Johann Christian Polycarp Erxleben.
[edit] References
- ^ Schiebinger, L. (1990): "The Anatomy of Difference: Race and Sex in Eighteenth-Century Science", pg. 399, Eighteenth Century Studies 23(3) pgs. 387-405
- ^ a b c Sutherland, M. (1985): Women Who Teach in Universities (Trentham Books) pg. 118
- ^ a b Offen, K. (2000): European Feminisms, 1700-1950: A Political History (Stanford University Press), pg. 43
[edit] External links
- Works by or about Dorothea Erxleben in libraries (WorldCat catalog)
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