Maria von Linden
| Maria Linden | |
|---|---|
 Linden in 1894
| |
| Born |
18 July 1869 Schloss Burgberg, near Heidenheim, Württemberg |
| Died |
25 August 1936 (aged 67) Schaan, Liechtenstein |
| Nationality | German |
| Occupation | Bacteriologist and zoologist |
Maria Linden (18 July 1869 – 25 August 1936) was a German bacteriologist and zoologist. Linden had to struggle to gain a university place, a degree and a doctorate because of her gender. In name only, she became one of Germany's first professors. She patented a type of bandage and won a prize for her investigations of butterfly wings. She was driven from office as a result of the rise of the Nazi Party in Germany.
Linden was born to a German aristocratic family who resided at Schloss Burgberg near Heidenheim, Kingdom of Württemberg, in 1869. Her parents Edward and Eugenie von Linden arranged for her to attend a school in Karlsruhe for four years where she received a lady's education. She showed ability and enthusiasm for maths and physics. On her return to the family's castle she had her first paper on the mineral deposits in the River Hürbe read at Karlsruhe's geological society (by a man) in 1890. The paper was noticed by geologist Professor von Quenstedt of Tübingen University.
The following year after private tutoring she was the first woman in the Kingdom of Württemberg to take the Reifeprüfung examination. This was possible because she had clearance from a minister and this examination showed that she had the academic ability, if not the gender, to attend a German university. Maria had to be content with private lessons from university professors at Tübingen—she failed to gain an official place, despite pressure from her uncle, Joseph von Linden who had been a minister. In lieu, by a vote of 8 to 10, she was allowed to be a guest student. Her studies at the university were financed and supported by the German Association of Female Citizens.
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