Ida Schmidt facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ida Schmidt
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Ida Carolina Schmidt
19 September 1857 Karlshamn, Sweden
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| Died | 27 December 1932 Karlshamn, Sweden
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| Burial place | Hvilan cemetery |
| Nationality | Swedish |
| Occupation | Business owner, city council member |
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Ida Schmidt (1857-1932) was an important Swedish woman. She worked hard for women's rights. She also started one of the first schools in Sweden to teach gardening to women.
In 1910, women were allowed to run for local government for the first time. Ida Schmidt was one of the very first women elected to a city council in Sweden.
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Early Life and Education
Ida Schmidt was born on September 19, 1857, in Karlshamn, Sweden. Her family was quite well-off. Her father was Herman Schmidt, and her mother was Carolina Schmidt.
Ida loved gardening and learned a lot about it. She studied gardening in different countries. She visited garden schools in Germany, Denmark, and Finland. For example, in 1892, she went to Heyl's garden school in Charlottenburg, Germany. Later, in 1896-1897, she studied at Norrviken's garden school in Östergötland. She also learned at Roskilde garden school in Denmark.
Starting a Garden School for Women
In 1900, Ida Schmidt and her friend Sigrid Hård opened a special garden school. It was called Agdatorp and was located in Blekinge. This school was very important because it was one of the first places in Sweden to teach gardening to women.
The school could teach 14 to 16 students each year. Some students even got to study for free. This was possible thanks to money from the local county. Agdatorp school won awards at several garden shows. It helped many women learn a new skill. The school closed in 1910 due to money problems. But in its ten years, 132 students had learned there.
Women in Gardening: Changing Views
At the time, not everyone thought gardening was a good job for women. Some people even wrote negative articles about it. This was sometimes because women's long skirts made it hard to work in gardens.
However, opinions slowly began to change. As more women started studying gardening, more positive views appeared. Some newspapers even showed pictures of women doing hard work in gardens. They wore practical clothes, showing that women could do the job well.
An Activist for Women's Rights
While running her garden school, Ida Schmidt also became very active in politics. She joined a group called the Association for Women's Political Voting Rights. This group worked to get women the right to vote. In 1905, she became the leader of the local branch of this association.
Her hard work paid off. In 1910, women were finally allowed to run for local government. Ida Schmidt was elected to the Karlshamn City Council. She was one of the first women in Sweden to hold such a position. In 1914, she also became one of the first women on the pension board. This board helped manage pensions for people.
Ida Schmidt also helped the Red Cross. She was the secretary for their local branch in Karlshamn. She started this work in 1914, when World War I began, and continued until 1927.
Ida Schmidt passed away in Karlshamn on December 27, 1932, at the age of 75. She is buried in the city's Hvilan cemetery.
