Anna Hierta-Retzius

Anna Wilhelmina Hierta-Retzius, née Hierta (24 August 1841 – 21 December 1924), was a Swedish women's rights activist and philanthropist. She was the co-founder and secretary of the Married Woman's Property Rights Association (1873), founder and chairperson of the evening school Torsdagsskolan in 1864-1874, member of the board in the Bikupan association in 1870-1887, Vice Chairperson of the Married Woman's Property Rights Association in 1886-1893, member of the board of the Stiftelsen Lars Hiertas Minne (The Memorial Foundation of Lars Hierta) in 1878-1911 and its Vice Chairperson in 1911-1924, co-worker in Aftonbladet in 1884-1887, founder of the Adolf Fredriks arbetsstuga för barn (Adolf Fredrik Work House for Children) in 1887, Chairperson of the central committee of the Stockholm work houses in 1889-1909, chairperson of the Swedish National Council of Women (SKNF) in 1899-1911, Vice Chairperson of the International Council of Women (ICW) in 1904-1909.

Anna Hierta-Retzius was the daughter of Lars Johan Hierta, the founder of Aftonbladet, and Wilhelmina Fröding (1805-1878). On 28 November 1876, she married scientist and professor Gustaf Retzius, with whom she was active in social and scientific projects. She had no children.

She was raised in an intellectual environment, her father being the manager of a progressive newspaper, and artists, writers and politicians being common guests in her home. Reportedly, she was influenced both by the philanthropic interests of her mother and the radical ideas of gender equality of her father, and developed an interest in social reform and active work to achieve this goal, and she wished to live up to her father's expectations of a son.

She was educated at the Lärokursen för fruntimmer (Learning Courses for Women) in 1859-1861, which was held in Stockholm as a response of the debate of education for women which had been caused by Hertha (novel) by Fredrika Bremer and was the prequel of the Högre lärarinneseminariet. As such, she belonged to the first females in Sweden to be given a serious public education in nature science. Soon after this, she engaged in social reform work, influenced by her view of Christian social liberalism.

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