Maria Luisa Doseva-Georgieva facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Maria Luisa Doseva-Georgieva
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| Мария-Луиза Досева-Георгиева | |
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Maria Luisa Doseva
8 September 1894 Targovishte, Bulgaria
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| Died | 11 April 1975 (aged 80) Burgas, People's Republic of Bulgaria
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| Nationality | Bulgarian |
| Occupation | architect, women's rights activist |
| Years active | 1917–1973 |
Maria Luisa Doseva-Georgieva (born September 8, 1894 – died April 11, 1975) was one of the first two women in Bulgaria to become a licensed architect. She designed many famous buildings in the city of Burgas. These included the Boulevard Hotel, homes for important people like Georgi Popayanov, and many shops and schools. In 1968, she received a special gold award and became an honorary member of the Union of Bulgarian Architects.
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Early Life and Education
Maria Luisa Doseva was born on September 8, 1894, in Targovishte, Bulgaria. Her father, Konstantin Dosev, was a banker and merchant. He also served in the country's parliament for a while.
Maria Luisa finished her early schooling in Targovishte. Then, she went to high school in Veliko Tarnovo and later in Varna. After graduating from high school, the Ministry of Education recognized her achievements.
Even though architecture was mostly a job for men back then, Maria Luisa wanted to study it. In 1913, she went to Germany to join the Technical University of Munich. However, they did not accept her because she was a girl. But Maria Luisa didn't give up! She then applied to the Technical University of Darmstadt and was accepted for the 1913 school year.
After her first year, Maria Luisa returned to Bulgaria for a practice internship. She chose to work in southern Bulgaria. This area had a lot of new buildings being constructed. Many people had moved there after the Balkan Wars.
She earned her architecture degree on December 20, 1917. This was just a few weeks after Elena Markova, another female student from Darmstadt, got her degree. Maria Luisa was then officially allowed to work as an architect by the government. Soon after graduating, she went back to Targovishte. There, on January 5, 1918, she married Minko Georgiev, an architecture student she had met in Darmstadt.
Building a Career
Maria Luisa and Minko soon moved to Stara Zagora, which was Minko's hometown. Their son, Georgi, was born there. But there wasn't much work for architects in Stara Zagora. So, the family moved to Burgas, where Minko became a state architect.
In 1920, Maria Luisa Doseva-Georgieva opened her own office in their home. It was located at 25 Ferdinandova Street. In September of that same year, she was hired to design her first house. As more people learned about her talent, she started designing many different buildings. She worked on homes and commercial buildings in Burgas. She also designed buildings in other eastern cities like Sliven, Varna, and Yambol. During this time, her family grew, and she had two daughters, Liliana and Milka.
Helping Women and Children
Besides her work as an architect, Maria Luisa was also very active in helping women in society. She helped start the very first kindergarten in Burgas. She also helped create a tailoring school. This school taught girls how to sew and become professionals.
Maria Luisa was involved with a charity group called "Mercy." She also worked hard with the "Independent Women's Association 'Self-consciousness'." Through these groups, she worked to improve how women and children could access public services. She also helped protect their rights.
Designing Iconic Buildings
Maria Luisa Doseva-Georgieva designed many important buildings. Her designs often mixed different styles, including European and Arabic influences.
Between 1920 and 1921, she designed the Boulevard Hotel in Burgas. This hotel was near the railway station on Alexandrovska Street. The building had features from the German secessionist art movement. It also used geometric shapes and decorations inspired by Islamic architecture.
In 1923, she designed a home for a merchant named Peter Kiulyumov. This house was at 18 Prince Alexander Batenberg Street. After that, she designed a home for Georgi Popayanov. This house was at the corner of Aleko Bogoridi Boulevard and Mihail Lermontov Street. She also designed homes for other important people in the city.
Maria Luisa was also chosen to be a project architect for schools. She designed school buildings in many towns and villages. These included Izvor, Kableshkovo, Kameno, Primorsko, Ravna Gora, Rusokastro, Sredets, and Troyanovo.
After her husband passed away in 1947, Maria Luisa was put in charge of overseeing and controlling the regional design organization in Burgas. In 1968, she received a special golden badge from the Union of Bulgarian Architects. She was also made an honorary member of the organization. She continued to work as an architect until she retired in 1973.
Later Years and Legacy
Maria Luisa Doseva-Georgieva died on April 11, 1975, in Burgas. She is remembered as a very important figure in Bulgarian architecture. Many people consider her the first woman to truly work as an architect in Bulgaria. While Elena Markova was licensed before her, Elena did not continue to work in the field after getting married. The old Boulevard Hotel, which Maria Luisa designed, has been restored. It is now a famous building in the center of Burgas.
