Johanna Mestorf facts for kids
Johanna Mestorf was a very important German archaeologist. She was born on April 17, 1828, in Bad Bramstedt. She passed away on July 20, 1909, in Kiel. Johanna Mestorf made history as the first woman to lead a museum in the Kingdom of Prussia. Many people also say she was the first female professor in Germany.
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Johanna Mestorf's Early Life and Work
Johanna was the youngest of four children. Her father, Jacob Heinrich Mestorf, was a doctor. He also collected old things, like ancient artifacts. Her mother was Sophia Katharina Georgine. When her father died in 1837, Johanna and her mother moved to Itzehoe. There, Johanna went to a special school for girls.
In 1849, Johanna traveled to Sweden. She worked as a governess, which means she was a private teacher, for the family of Count Piper. While in Sweden, she also learned Scandinavian languages. In 1853, she came back to Germany. Over the next few years, she traveled to France and Italy several times. She went as a companion to an Italian countess.
Becoming an Archaeologist
Starting in 1859, Johanna lived with her brother Harro in Hamburg. In 1867, she got a job as a secretary. She handled letters from other countries. While working, she taught herself a lot about archaeology. She became a very knowledgeable archaeologist on her own.
From 1863, Mestorf started translating important books. These books were about archaeology from Scandinavian countries. Her translations were very helpful for archaeology in Germany. They helped people understand new ideas. For example, they helped establish the Three-age system. This system divides prehistory into the Stone Age, Bronze Age, and Iron Age. It also helped with studying artifacts by their types.
In the 1860s, she also began writing. She wrote articles and essays about ethnography (the study of cultures) and archaeology. She also gave talks about Norse mythology. She attended important meetings about anthropology. These meetings were in Copenhagen (1869), Bologna (1871), Stockholm (1874), and Budapest (1876). She wrote reports about each of these meetings.
Leading a Museum and Becoming a Professor
In 1868, Johanna was given an honorary job at the Kiel Museum. This means she worked there without pay at first. In 1873, this museum joined with another one. It became the Museum of Antiquities of the Fatherland. This museum was a very early version of the Schleswig-Holstein State Archaeological Museum. It is now at Gottorp Castle. It also became part of the University of Kiel.
First Female Museum Director
Johanna Mestorf became the museum's first custodian. A custodian looks after the museum's collections. In 1891, she became the director of the museum. This made her the first female museum director in Germany. She was also in charge of the museum's main collections. These were about prehistory and ancient history. She even gave the museum her father's collection to start with.
In 1899, Johanna Mestorf turned 71. To honor her and her excellent work, the Prussian Ministry of Culture made her an honorary professor. She is usually seen as the first woman to get this title in Germany. However, the University of Kiel says the first was "a naturalist from the Baltic." She retired on April 1, 1909.
Honorary Doctorate
On April 17, 1909, her 81st birthday, she received another big honor. The University of Kiel gave her an honorary doctorate in medicine. An honorary doctorate is a special degree given to someone for their achievements. She had been denied a similar honor in 1899. This was because of disagreements among the professors.
In 1884, Johanna Mestorf and other women wanted to attend lectures. These lectures were about the famous writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. But the professor refused to let women attend. However, in her own field, Johanna was very respected. Important people like Rudolf Virchow needed her help. They asked her to assist with an exhibition in Berlin in 1880. The Ministry of Culture even gave her time off work for this important task.
Johanna Mestorf's Research and Discoveries
Johanna Mestorf's research mainly focused on the prehistory of Schleswig-Holstein. This is a region in northern Germany. She created several important terms that are still used today.
New Terms in Archaeology
She coined the term Single Grave culture. This describes a specific group of people from the Stone Age and Bronze Age. They lived in northern Germany and southern Scandinavia. They buried their dead in single graves. She also created the term Prachtmantel. This refers to a special decorative cloak worn by Germanic people. It was similar to a Roman cloak.
Another important term she coined was Bog body (Moorleiche in German). This term describes human bodies found in European bogs. Bogs are wetlands that can preserve bodies for thousands of years.
Preserving History
Johanna Mestorf also made lists of prehistoric finds in Schleswig-Holstein. She taught the public how important it was to protect these finds. Thanks to her, many archaeological sites were quickly studied and saved. For example, the Danevirke, an ancient defensive wall, was preserved because of her efforts. She also worked to document and save traditional silver jewelry. This jewelry belonged to farm families in Holstein. She even gave a collection of this jewelry to a museum.
Shortly before she passed away, Mestorf set up a special fund. It was in memory of her parents. This fund provided an annual meal for twelve elderly women in Bramstedt. The meal was "a strong beef soup with dumplings." It was served on her mother's birthday, June 24.
A street on the campus of the University of Kiel is named after her. The Department for European Ethnology and the Institute for Prehistory and Ancient History are on this street. The Johanna Mestorf lecture theatre is also named for her. It has a portrait of her on display. She was buried in her family's plot in a Hamburg cemetery. The Schleswig archaeological museum paid for the upkeep of her grave for many years. After the grave was cleared, her gravestone was moved to the museum library.
Honours and Awards
Johanna Mestorf received many honors during her life. Besides her honorary doctorate and professorship, she was elected to be an honorary or corresponding member of 19 learned societies. These are groups of experts who study specific subjects.
Some of these societies included:
- The Berlin Society for Anthropology, Ethnology and Prehistory (1891)
- The Munich Anthropological Society
- The Swedish Association for Prehistory
- The Finnish Association for Prehistory
- The Anthropological Society of Vienna
She was also given several medals for her achievements:
- Small Gold Medal for Art and Science (1904)
- Silver Women's Order of Service
- Swedish Gold Medal of the Wife of Oscar I
When she retired, she received a photograph. It was personally signed by Emperor Wilhelm II. This was a very special gift. At that time, there were no other official awards that could be given to a woman.
