Anna Lohse facts for kids

Anna Christine Abeline Lohse (1866–1942) was a Danish schoolteacher and a champion for women's rights. She came from Odense, a city on the Danish island of Funen. Anna taught at the same school for 52 years, retiring in 1936. She was also a very active member of the Odense branch of the Danish Women's Society from when it started in 1890. Later, in 1915, she became an honorary member. Anna believed that better education was key to helping women become more independent and find good jobs. Because of this, she started a free evening school for women in 1891.

About Anna Lohse

Anna Christine Abeline Lohse was born in Odense on 4 November 1866. Her father, Heinrich Lohse, was a shoemaker. Her mother was Anne Cathrine Nielsen.

Becoming a Teacher

From a young age, Anna wanted to be a teacher. She went to different schools in Odense. Later, she moved to Copenhagen to train as a teacher. She studied at N. Zahle's School and earned her teaching diploma in 1889.

Her Teaching Career

After finishing her studies, Anna returned to Odense. She began working for the local school system. In 1897, she started teaching at Vestre Skole when it first opened. She stayed there until she retired in 1936. Anna's main subject was natural history. She also taught geography, arithmetic, and religion.

Fighting for Women's Rights

Anna Lohse was a leader in the women's movement in Odense. The Danish Women's Society started a local group there in June 1890. Even though she was young, Anna quickly became an active member. She was part of the main committee in the 1890s. She even led the organization twice, first in 1892, and then again from 1894 to 1899.

Her Ideas on Equality

Anna was inspired by the ideas of Grundtvig, a famous Danish thinker. She wrote articles for a magazine called Kvinden & Samfundet (Women and Society). In her articles, she talked about problems in society. She connected the challenges faced by women with those faced by working men. Anna believed that true equality between genders depended on solving problems for all workers. She argued that women could only be seen as independent and self-supporting if they had better education. She also felt that women needed to get involved in politics to help solve workers' problems.

The Free Evening School

Because of Anna's ideas, the Odense branch of the Women's Society opened an evening school. Women could attend this school for free. This school helped many women learn new skills. It operated until the year 1900.

Anna Lohse passed away in Odense on 3 October 1942. She lived most of her life in the family home with her parents and her sister, Kathrine.