Maria von Wedemeyer Weller facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Maria von Wedemeyer Weller
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | Patzig, Weimar Republic April 23, 1924
|
| Died | November 16, 1977 (aged 53) Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
|
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Bryn Mawr College |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Computer science |
Maria von Wedemeyer Weller (born April 23, 1924 – died November 16, 1977) was an American computer scientist. She was also a manager in the computer industry. Maria moved to the United States from Germany after World War II. She is also known for being engaged to Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German religious leader who worked against the Nazi government.
Contents
Life Story
.jpg)
Early Years
Maria was born in 1924 in a place called Pätzig in Germany. Her father, Hans von Wedemeyer, was a landowner. Her mother was Ruth von Wedemeyer. Maria was the third of their seven children. Her family had connections to important German families. She grew up on her parents' farm.
Meeting Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Maria first met Dietrich Bonhoeffer when she was 11 years old. He was teaching her older brother and cousins. Maria's grandmother asked if Maria could join the class. Bonhoeffer decided she was too young at that time.
They met again about seven years later. Maria was 18 and Bonhoeffer was 36. They became good friends and got engaged on January 13, 1943.
Bonhoeffer's Imprisonment
Less than three months after they got engaged, Bonhoeffer was arrested. He was arrested because he was working against the Nazi government. Maria and Bonhoeffer wrote many letters to each other while he was in prison. She was sometimes allowed to visit him.
Later, Bonhoeffer was linked to a plan to stop Hitler. He was moved to a high-security prison. After this, he could not see Maria or his family anymore. Bonhoeffer was killed on April 8, 1945, just before the war ended.
After his death, Bonhoeffer's parents received his belongings from prison. This included the letters Maria had written to him. His parents gave these letters back to Maria. Because of this, she had almost all of their letters.
Life in America and Career
After the war, Maria studied mathematics in Germany. In 1948, she received a scholarship to study at Bryn Mawr College in the United States. She earned her master's degree there in 1950.
In 1949, she went back to Germany to marry Paul-Werner Schniewind. They decided to move to the United States. They had two sons, but their marriage later ended.
Maria first worked as a statistician. Soon, she started writing computer code at a new computer company called Remington Rand UNIVAC. In 1959, she married Barton Weller, but this marriage also ended in 1965.
After her second marriage ended, Maria returned to the computer industry. She joined Honeywell Information Systems near Boston. She started as a technical employee and then moved into management roles.
Bonhoeffer Letters and Legacy
In 1966, Maria gave the letters and writings from Bonhoeffer to Harvard University's Houghton Library. These included the famous poem Faithfully and Quietly Surrounded by Good Powers. The letters were kept private until 2002.
In 1967, she published parts of the letters in a journal. This publication caused a lot of media attention. Articles about her and the letters appeared in major newspapers and magazines.
Later Life and Death
In 1974, Maria gave a talk about how decompilers were developed. Decompilers are computer programs that translate code. She died from cancer in 1977 in Boston. Her ashes are buried in Germany. A special memorial was placed for her in 2009.
Fifteen years after Maria's death, all of her letters with Bonhoeffer were published. Her older sister, Ruth-Alice von Bismarck, helped publish the book. The book is called Brautbriefe Zelle 92 - Dietrich Bonhoeffer / Maria von Wedemeyer 1943-1945. It has been translated into many languages.
See also
In Spanish: Maria von Wedemeyer para niños
