Anna Laursen facts for kids
Ane (Anna) Marie Laursen (1845–1911) was an important Danish schoolteacher and a champion for women's rights. In 1891, she became the head of a school in Aarhus. This school later became famous as Fru Laursens Skole (Mrs. Laursen's School). It was one of Denmark's first schools to teach both boys and girls together. In 1886, Anna Laursen also helped start the Aarhus branch of the Danish Women's Society. As its leader from 1897, she was an early supporter of women's suffrage, which means women getting the right to vote.
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Early Life and Education
Anna Marie Christensen was born on January 20, 1845. Her birthplace was Landsgrav, near Slagelse Municipality, in western Zealand, Denmark. Her father, Peder Christensen, was a farmer. Her mother was Caroline Marie Jørgensen. She grew up in the countryside. There, she learned about the ideas of N.F.S. Grundtvig. These ideas focused on learning for life and personal growth.
In the early 1870s, Anna went to Askov Højskole. This was a special type of school called a folk high school. It inspired her to dedicate her life to teaching. Later, she moved to Copenhagen and taught at different folk high schools. She also worked at free schools. For a time, she was in charge of a children's home on the island of Bornholm. In 1881, she continued her studies at N. Zahle's School. After that, she taught for a while in a school in Nyborg.
In November 1882, she married Niels Johan Laursen. He was 11 years younger than her. After their wedding, she stopped teaching for a bit. Her husband became the editor of a newspaper called Aarhus Folkeblad. They settled in Aarhus. They quickly became key members of the Grundtvigian community there. This community focused on religious and educational ideas.
Anna Laursen's Career
Leading a School
In 1888, Anna Laursen started working as a teacher. She taught at a small private school in Aarhus. This school had been started in 1886. In 1891, her husband bought the school. Anna then became its principal. In 1901, the school was allowed to hold official examinations. From then on, it was known as Fru Laursens Realskole.
Anna's school was quite different from most other schools at the time. It followed the Grundtvigian way of teaching. This meant that learning was lively and thoughtful. It focused on teaching students skills for life, not just facts. It was also the first school in Aarhus to teach boys and girls together in the same classrooms. Under Anna Laursen's leadership, the school grew a lot. It started with 30 students in 1888. By the time she left in 1911, it had 260 students.
Fighting for Women's Rights
Anna Laursen was probably already involved in the Danish Women's Society when she lived in Copenhagen. In 1886, she was one of 15 people who started a local branch in Aarhus. At first, people suggested she should lead the new branch. But she said no. She thought her husband's political activities might cause problems. However, a year later, she was elected president anyway.
Under her leadership, the society started new activities. These included evening classes, sewing courses, and a reading club. Anna also strongly supported votes for women. This idea, called women's suffrage, was not yet an official goal for the main Danish Women's Society. But Anna believed in it and pushed for it.
Anna Laursen passed away in Aarhus on July 25, 1911. She was buried in the city's Nordre Kirkegård.
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Anna Laursen
