Catharina Helena Dörrien facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Catharina Helena Dörrien
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| Born | 1 March 1717 |
| Died | 8 June 1795 Dillenburg
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| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Botany |
Catharina Helena Dörrien was a German botanist and teacher. She was born in Hildesheim on March 1, 1717, and passed away in Dillenburg on June 8, 1795. People called her "the most celebrated German-speaking female naturalist of the period."
Catharina was a very talented artist. She painted more than 1,400 watercolor pictures of plants. These are known as botanical illustrations. In 1777, she published a special book about plants from the Principality of Orange-Nassau. She was also the first woman ever to officially name a type of fungus.
Early Life and Learning
Catharina Helena Dörrien was the second of four children. Her father, Pastor Johann Jonas Dörrien, taught his children at home. He taught them many subjects, including botany, which is the study of plants.
When Catharina's mother passed away in 1733, Catharina took over running the family home. Her father died four years later, in 1737.
A Career in Botany
In 1746, when she was 30 years old, Catharina left Hildesheim. She started working as a governess in Dillenburg for her childhood friend, Sophie Anna Blandina.
At first, Catharina painted plants just for fun. But Sophie's husband, Anton Ulrich von Erath, encouraged her to do more. He suggested she create an illustrated list of all the plants in the Orange-Nassau area.
Catharina finished this important plant catalogue in 1777. She was one of the first people in Germany to use the Linnean system of classification. This system is a way to organize and name living things. In her catalogue, she described two new types of plants. This made her the first woman to officially name a type of fungus.
Special Honours
Catharina Helena Dörrien was recognized for her amazing work. She became an honorary member of many important scientific groups:
- The Societatis Botanicae Florentinae (Botanical Society of Florence) starting in 1766.
- The Berlin Society of Friends of Nature starting in 1776.
- The Berlinischen Gesellschaft (Berlin Society) starting in 1776. She was the very first female member of this group.
- The Botanischen Gesellschaft zu Regensburg (Regensburg Botanical Society) starting in 1790.
A group of plants called Doerriena, which are a type of chickweed, were named after Dörrien to honor her contributions to botany.
