Dorothea Erxleben
She broke the university's glass ceiling in 1754, defending her right to heal and becoming Germany's first female medical doctor.
1715–1762 (age 47)·German physician·Birthday: November 13
Biography
Dorothea Erxleben's life was a quiet, determined revolution. Born in Quedlinburg, she was educated in medicine by her father, a forward-thinking physician who believed in her intellect. When she began practicing, male competitors filed a complaint, accusing her of quackery simply because of her gender. Instead of retreating, Erxleben mounted a formidable defense. She petitioned King Frederick the Great of Prussia, who, impressed by her arguments, granted her special permission to sit for exams at the University of Halle. In 1754, after a rigorous public disputation of her dissertation on the topic of medicine's incomplete cures, she was awarded her doctorate—a first for a woman in German lands. She then returned to her hometown, not just to practice but to prove a point. Her career, though cut short by her early death, was a living rebuttal to every prejudice. She treated patients, raised a family, and authored a groundbreaking treatise arguing for women's education. Erxleben didn't just earn a degree; she created a precedent, proving that the practice of medicine required not a specific gender, but a specific mind.
#1 When Dorothea Was Born
The biggest hits of 1715
Dorothea's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1715Born
1720Started school
1728Became a teenager
1731Could drive
1733Could vote
1736Turned 21
1745Turned 30
1755Turned 40
1762Died at 47
Key Achievements
- Became the first woman in Germany to earn a Doctor of Medicine degree, awarded by the University of Halle in 1754.
- Successfully petitioned Frederick the Great for the right to take her doctoral examination, overcoming legal barriers against women.
- Authored a influential treatise, 'Inquiry into the Causes Preventing the Female Sex from Studying,' advocating for women's education.
- Maintained a successful medical practice in Quedlinburg, serving as the town physician for women and children.
Did You Know?
Her doctoral dissertation focused on the then-novel idea that many medical treatments were ineffective or harmful.
She was a mother of four children and managed her medical practice while raising her family.
Her brother, Johann Christian Polycarp Erxleben, was a noted naturalist and another of her father's pupils.
The University of Halle now awards a Dorothea Erxleben scholarship program to support women in academia.
“I will practice medicine, for my knowledge and my father's teachings demand it.”
