Hermine Hartleben facts for kids

Hermine Ida Auguste Hartleben was a smart German woman who loved learning about ancient Egypt. She was born in 1846 and lived until 1919. She became famous for writing a book about a very important person in history.

Who Was Hermine Hartleben?

Early Life and Education

Hermine Hartleben was born on June 2, 1846, in a town called Altenau in Germany. Her father worked as a forest officer. When she was older, Hermine studied in a city called Hanover. She then became a teacher, which was a very important job.

Her Journey to Learn and Teach

Hermine loved to learn. She went to the Sorbonne in Paris, France, to study Greek archaeology. This is the study of old things from ancient Greece. After her studies, she traveled far from home. She taught at a Greek school in Istanbul, which is a big city in Turkey.

Later, she moved to Egypt. There, she taught French to the children of a pasha. A pasha was a high-ranking official in the Ottoman Empire, which ruled Egypt at that time.

Becoming an Egyptologist

While in Egypt, Hermine became very interested in ancient Egyptian history. An Egyptologist is someone who studies the history, language, and culture of ancient Egypt. Some German Egyptologists suggested that she should write a book.

Her Famous Book

Hermine wrote a biography about Jean-François Champollion. He was a very famous person who figured out how to read Egyptian hieroglyphs. Hieroglyphs were the special pictures and symbols that ancient Egyptians used for writing. Champollion's work helped people understand a lot about ancient Egypt. Hermine's book told the story of his life and how he made this amazing discovery.

Hermine Hartleben passed away in 1919. She was buried in a cemetery in Templin, Germany.