Hedda Andersson facts for kids
Hedda Albertina Andersson (born April 24, 1861, in Malmö; died September 7, 1950, in Lund) was a Swedish doctor. She was the second woman to study at Lund University. She was also the second woman in Sweden to become a doctor after studying at a university.
Her Early Life and Family
Hedda Andersson's father was a worker named Andersson. Her mother, Johanna Andersson, was known as a "cunning woman" or traditional healer. When Hedda's father passed away in 1866, she moved with her mother and three siblings to live with her grandmother.
Hedda came from a long line of women who practiced traditional folk medicine. This family tradition went back at least seven generations, to the 1600s! Her great-grandmother, Marna Nilsdotter, and her grandmother, Elna Hansson, were both active healers. Hedda's mother and grandmother worked together as healers in Malmö. Her grandmother was very famous across Scandinavia. People called her the Lundakvinnan, which means "Woman of Lund."
To avoid being accused of quackery (practicing medicine without proper training), her grandmother and mother had learned some skills from a barber surgeon. This helped them practice their healing safely.
Becoming a Doctor
In 1870, universities in Sweden opened their doors to women. Hedda's mother and grandmother decided she should study medicine at a university. They wanted her to get a formal license. This way, she could avoid the problems many women in their family had faced, like being accused of quackery.
Hedda Andersson went to school at Maria Stenkula's school. In 1880, she was accepted into Lund University. She is sometimes called the first female student there. However, Hildegard Björck actually started studying there just a short time before her.
Hedda was the only female student at Lund University until 1882. But reports say her male classmates treated her with respect. She earned her first degree in 1887. Then, she received her medical license in 1892. This made her the second female doctor to graduate from a Swedish university. The first was Karolina Widerström. Hedda also continued her studies in Copenhagen in 1892 and 1895. She also studied in Leipzig in 1893 with a famous doctor named Max Sänger.
Her Medical Career
Hedda Andersson worked as a doctor in several places. She was in Ronneby from 1892 to 1895. She also worked in Malmö from 1893 to 1895. From 1895 to 1925, she practiced medicine in Stockholm. After that, she moved back to Lund, where she lived out her life.
Remembering Hedda Andersson
In 2009, Lund University created a special visiting professorship in Hedda Andersson's honor. This helps remember her important contributions as a pioneer for women in medicine.
