Regina von Siebold facts for kids
Regina Josepha von Siebold, born Henning (14 December 1771 – 28 February 1849), was a German doctor. She was a special kind of doctor called an obstetrician. This means she helped women when they were having babies. Regina was born in Geismar. She made history by being the first woman in Germany to get a university degree. She is buried in Darmstadt.
Her Early Life
Regina Josepha was raised by her rich uncle, Lorenz Henning. He was a city councilman in Heiligenstadt. Her uncle had no children, so he left everything to Regina when he passed away. He also arranged for his friend, Georg Heiland, to be her guardian.
Regina Josepha married Georg Heiland when she was only 15. He was 25 years old. They had four children together in six years. Georg died around 1793 when Regina was just 21. She was left alone with her two living children, Charlotte and Therese.
Later, Regina Josepha became very sick. She was cared for by Dr. Damian Siebold. Damian was helping Professor Richter, where Regina had lived as a student. Damian and his father, Carl Casper von Siebold, came from an important family of doctors. Regina Josepha married Damian in 1795. They first lived in Worms and then in Darmstadt. Damian worked as an obstetrician there. They had three more children. Sadly, Damian later became too ill to work.
Her Amazing Career
In Regina Josepha's time, only men were supposed to be obstetricians. But she really wanted to work in this field. She helped her husband with his patients. With support from her father-in-law and uncle, she started taking advanced classes. These classes were about women's health at the University of Würzburg.
Regina Josepha was only allowed to listen to the lessons from behind a curtain. Still, she finished all the required courses. She also completed her hands-on training with her husband. She then asked the Grand Duke Ludwig IV of Hesse-Darmstadt for permission to take the final exam. She did incredibly well on the four-hour test.
On November 28, 1807, Regina Josepha received a special license from the government. This allowed her to work as both a doctor of obstetrics and a midwife. In 1815, she received an honorary doctorate in medicine from the University of Giessen. This was a huge achievement. She was the first woman in Germany to ever get a university degree.
Regina Siebold ran her own medical clinic. Her daughter, Charlotte Heidenreich von Siebold, helped her. Charlotte also earned a degree in obstetrics from the University of Giessen in 1817. In 1819, Charlotte helped the Duchess of Kent give birth. The baby was a girl named Alexandrine Victoria. She later became Queen Victoria of England.
Her Legacy
A crater on the planet Venus is named after Regina Josepha von Siebold.
See also
In Spanish: Regina Josepha von Siebold para niños
