Ilse Schwidetzky facts for kids
Ilse Schwidetzky (born September 6, 1907, in Lissa – died March 18, 1997, in Mainz) was an important German anthropologist. She studied human populations and their history. Her married name was Rösing, but she often published her scientific work using her maiden name, Schwidetzky.
Ilse was the daughter of Georg and Susanne Schwidetzky. Her mother, Susanne, studied math at the University of Berlin around 1900 but sadly passed away in 1911. Her father, Georg, studied law and had a successful career in politics before World War I. After the war, the family moved to Leipzig, where her father worked for a large library called Die Deutsche Bücherei. Ilse had three siblings: Eva, Walter, and a half-brother named Georg. She was also related to Oscar Schwidetzky, who invented the famous Ace bandage.
Becoming an Anthropologist
Ilse Schwidetzky was very interested in learning about people and their past. She studied history, biology, and anthropology at universities in Leipzig and Breslau. In the 1930s, she started working as an assistant to Egon Freiherr von Eickstedt, a well-known professor of anthropology.
In 1940, Ilse married Bernhard Rösing, who was also a professor. It was common for professors in Germany to live in different cities because there were not many job openings. Ilse and Bernhard had three children, including Ina Rösing, who became an ethnologist (someone who studies cultures), and Friedrich Wilhelm Rösing, who also became an anthropologist. Sadly, Bernhard Rösing died in a train accident in 1944. Luckily, all of Ilse's children, her siblings, and her father survived the war.
Work at Mainz University
After World War II, in 1946, Ilse Schwidetzky began working at the new Anthropological Institute at Mainz University. She continued her important research there. In 1961, she became the main professor of anthropology at Mainz, taking over from Professor Eickstedt. She held this position until she retired in 1975.
Important Achievements
Ilse Schwidetzky was recognized for her work by many scientific groups around the world. She was a member or an honorary member of several important academic associations. For example, she was the vice president of the International Union of Anthropological and Ethnological Sciences in 1974. She was also a member of the Academy of Sciences and Literature in Mainz. From 1968 to 1970, she was the chair of the German Society for Anthropology and Human Genetics. In 1990, the University of Crete gave her an honorary doctorate, which is a special degree given to people who have achieved great things.
