Greta Woxén facts for kids

Greta Anna Maria Woxén was a very important Swedish engineer. She made history by becoming Sweden's first female civil engineer. She graduated from the Kungliga Tekniska högskolan (KTH), also known as the Royal Institute of Technology, in 1928.

Early Life and Inspiration

Greta Anna Maria Westberg was born on July 12, 1902, in Denmark. Her father, Nils Westberg, was an engineer. He worked with a famous Swedish industrialist named Gustaf Dalén. Growing up with an engineer father likely inspired Greta.

Becoming an Engineer

Greta Westberg finished high school in 1920. She passed the Studentexamen, which is a special exam in Sweden that allows students to go to university.

After school, she started working at Vattenfallsstyrelsen. This was a large Swedish power company owned by the government. While working there, she took a short course in electrical engineering. This course made her very interested in studying engineering more deeply. Her three brothers had all studied at Kungliga Tekniska högskolan.

KTH Opens Doors to Women

The Kungliga Tekniska högskolan (KTH) started allowing women to study there in 1921. Brita Snellman was the first woman to join KTH that year, studying architecture.

Greta Westberg began her studies at KTH in 1924. She was the first woman in Sweden to start a master's degree in engineering. She studied electrical engineering. People even nicknamed her "Electric Girl"!

It's important to know that Vera Sandberg is considered Sweden's first female engineer. She graduated from Chalmers University of Technology in 1917. However, Chalmers' courses were shorter back then. KTH was a technical college that offered master's degrees.

A Pioneer at KTH

When Brita Snellman graduated in 1924, Greta Westberg became the only female engineering student at KTH for some time. She was a true pioneer!

During her studies, Greta helped create the Kvinnliga Teknologföreningen. This was the Women Technologists' Association. She started it with two other women who joined KTH later. One studied architecture, and the other studied chemistry. Greta graduated from KTH in 1928.

Career and Family Life

After graduating, Greta Woxén quickly found a job. She worked at Elektricitetverksföreningen, a Swedish energy company. She worked there for a little over a year, focusing on operating statistics.

In 1929, Greta got married. At that time, it was common for women to leave their jobs to raise children. So, Greta resigned to take care of her family. Later, when her children were grown, she returned to work in 1954. She became a teacher, teaching mathematics, physics, and chemistry.

Personal Life

Greta Westberg married Ragnar Woxén in 1929. He was also a mechanical engineer and had graduated in 1928. Ragnar later became the Rector (head) of KTH from 1943 to 1964.

In 1927, before they were married, Greta and Ragnar worked together. They edited and published a collection of lectures. It was called Föreläsningar i läran om hiss- och transportanordningar. This means "Lectures in the Doctrine of Elevators and Transport Devices."

Greta and Ragnar had five children: Iva, Harald, Anna, Gerda, and Gustav. Greta Woxén passed away on May 9, 1993, in Lidingö.

Legacy

To honor Greta Woxén's achievements, a room at the Kungliga Tekniska högskolan is named after her. This helps remember her important role as Sweden's first female civil engineer.