Johanna Mestorf
Encyclopedia
Johanna Mestorf was a German
prehistoric
archaeologist, the first female museum director in the Kingdom of Prussia
and usually said to be the first female professor in Germany.
, where she attended the Blöcker Institute upper school for girls. In 1849 she went to Sweden
as a governess
to the family of Count Piper at Ängsö Castle
, and there also studied Scandinavian languages. In 1853 she returned to Germany, and during the next few years travelled to France and Italy several times as the companion of an Italian countess who was related to the Piper family. Beginning in 1859, she lived with her brother Harro in Hamburg
, where in 1867 she took a position as a secretary for foreign correspondence. While working, she became a well educated self-taught archaeologist.
Beginning in 1863, Mestorf translated important Scandinavian archaeological works into German; these translations had a significant impact on the development of the field in Germany, particularly in establishing the Three-age system
and typological study of artifacts. She also began in the 1860s to write literature and articles and essays on ethnography
and archaeology, and to give lectures on Norse mythology
. She attended the anthropological congress in Copenhagen in 1869, and represented the city state of Hamburg at those in Bologna (1871), Stockholm (1874) and Budapest (1876). She wrote reports on each of these congresses.
In 1868 she was given an honorary post at the Kiel
Museum; in 1873 this was merged into the Museum of Antiquities of the Fatherland (Museum vaterländischer Alterthümer), the forerunner of the Schleswig-Holstein
State Archaeological Museum at Gottorp Castle and of the Institute for Prehistory and Ancient History at the University of Kiel
, at the same time becoming part of the university, and she became its first custodian. In 1891 she succeeded the director, becoming the first female museum director in Germany. She was also responsible for the core of the museum's collections in prehistory and ancient history, beginning with her gift of her father's collection. In 1899, in honour of her 71st birthday and in recognition of her scholarship, the Prussian Ministry of Culture made her an honorary professor. She is usually regarded as the first woman to receive that title in Germany; however, according to the University of Kiel, the first was "a naturalist from the Baltic". She retired on 1 April 1909. On 17 April, her 81st birthday, she received an honorary doctorate in medicine from the university. She had been denied the same honour by the Philosophical Faculty in 1899 because of disagreement on the issue.
Mestorf was one of a group of women denied permission to attend lectures on Goethe at the University of Kiel in 1884/85 because the professor refused to grant it. But in her field she was so respected that Rudolf Virchow
and others considered her assistance indispensable for an anthropological exhibition in Berlin in 1880 and persuaded the Ministry of Culture to grant her leave for the purpose.
Her research focussed on the prehistory of Schleswig-Holstein. She coined the terms Single Grave culture (Einzelgrabkultur) for the North German and South Scandinavian region of the Corded Ware culture
, Prachtmantel for the characteristic decorative Germanic rectangular cloak, similar to the Roman sagum
, and Bog body
(Moorleiche) for the human bodies and body parts found in European bog
s. She catalogued the prehistoric finds of Schleswig-Holstein and educated the public on the importance of preserving them; she is responsible for the Danevirke
and many other archaeological sites having been promptly investigated and preserved. She also concerned herself with documenting and preserving the traditional silver jewellery of Holstein farm families, and donated a collection to the Thaulow Museum.
Shortly before her death, Mestorf made a RM500 deposit in memory of her parents to endow an annual meal of "a strong beef soup with dumplings" for twelve impoverished elderly women in Bramstedt on her mother's birthday, 24 June.
A street on the campus of the University of Kiel is named for her; on it are located the Department for European Ethnology and the Institute for Prehistory and Ancient History, where the Johanna Mestorf lecture theatre is also named for her and has a portrait of her on display. She was buried in her family's area in a Hamburg cemetery; the Schleswig archaeological museum paid for the upkeep of her grave until it was cleared, and the stone has since stood in the reading room of the museum library.
She was awarded the following medals:
On her retirement, she received a photograph personally signed by Emperor Wilhelm II, because no other form of recognition was possible for a woman.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
prehistoric
Prehistory
Prehistory is the span of time before recorded history. Prehistory can refer to the period of human existence before the availability of those written records with which recorded history begins. More broadly, it refers to all the time preceding human existence and the invention of writing...
archaeologist, the first female museum director in the Kingdom of Prussia
Kingdom of Prussia
The Kingdom of Prussia was a German kingdom from 1701 to 1918. Until the defeat of Germany in World War I, it comprised almost two-thirds of the area of the German Empire...
and usually said to be the first female professor in Germany.
Life and career
Johanna was the youngest of four surviving children of the physician and antiquarian Jacob Heinrich Mestorf and his wife Sophia Katharina Georgine, née Körner. When he died in 1837, she moved with her mother to ItzehoeItzehoe
Itzehoe is a town in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein.As the capital of the district Steinburg, Itzehoe is located on the Stör, a navigable tributary of the Elbe, 51 km northwest of Hamburg and 24 km north of Glückstadt...
, where she attended the Blöcker Institute upper school for girls. In 1849 she went to Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
as a governess
Governess
A governess is a girl or woman employed to teach and train children in a private household. In contrast to a nanny or a babysitter, she concentrates on teaching children, not on meeting their physical needs...
to the family of Count Piper at Ängsö Castle
Ängsö Castle
Ängsö Castle is a castle in Sweden, located near Västerås.The castle is on the island of Ängsö. It was first named in a royal charter at the end of the 12th century....
, and there also studied Scandinavian languages. In 1853 she returned to Germany, and during the next few years travelled to France and Italy several times as the companion of an Italian countess who was related to the Piper family. Beginning in 1859, she lived with her brother Harro in Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
, where in 1867 she took a position as a secretary for foreign correspondence. While working, she became a well educated self-taught archaeologist.
Beginning in 1863, Mestorf translated important Scandinavian archaeological works into German; these translations had a significant impact on the development of the field in Germany, particularly in establishing the Three-age system
Three-age system
The three-age system in archaeology and physical anthropology is the periodization of human prehistory into three consecutive time periods, named for their respective tool-making technologies:* The Stone Age* The Bronze Age* The Iron Age-Origin:...
and typological study of artifacts. She also began in the 1860s to write literature and articles and essays on ethnography
Ethnography
Ethnography is a qualitative method aimed to learn and understand cultural phenomena which reflect the knowledge and system of meanings guiding the life of a cultural group...
and archaeology, and to give lectures on Norse mythology
Norse mythology
Norse mythology, a subset of Germanic mythology, is the overall term for the myths, legends and beliefs about supernatural beings of Norse pagans. It flourished prior to the Christianization of Scandinavia, during the Early Middle Ages, and passed into Nordic folklore, with some aspects surviving...
. She attended the anthropological congress in Copenhagen in 1869, and represented the city state of Hamburg at those in Bologna (1871), Stockholm (1874) and Budapest (1876). She wrote reports on each of these congresses.
In 1868 she was given an honorary post at the Kiel
Kiel
Kiel is the capital and most populous city in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein, with a population of 238,049 .Kiel is approximately north of Hamburg. Due to its geographic location in the north of Germany, the southeast of the Jutland peninsula, and the southwestern shore of the...
Museum; in 1873 this was merged into the Museum of Antiquities of the Fatherland (Museum vaterländischer Alterthümer), the forerunner of the Schleswig-Holstein
Schleswig-Holstein
Schleswig-Holstein is the northernmost of the sixteen states of Germany, comprising most of the historical duchy of Holstein and the southern part of the former Duchy of Schleswig...
State Archaeological Museum at Gottorp Castle and of the Institute for Prehistory and Ancient History at the University of Kiel
University of Kiel
The University of Kiel is a university in the city of Kiel, Germany. It was founded in 1665 as the Academia Holsatorum Chiloniensis by Christian Albert, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp and has approximately 23,000 students today...
, at the same time becoming part of the university, and she became its first custodian. In 1891 she succeeded the director, becoming the first female museum director in Germany. She was also responsible for the core of the museum's collections in prehistory and ancient history, beginning with her gift of her father's collection. In 1899, in honour of her 71st birthday and in recognition of her scholarship, the Prussian Ministry of Culture made her an honorary professor. She is usually regarded as the first woman to receive that title in Germany; however, according to the University of Kiel, the first was "a naturalist from the Baltic". She retired on 1 April 1909. On 17 April, her 81st birthday, she received an honorary doctorate in medicine from the university. She had been denied the same honour by the Philosophical Faculty in 1899 because of disagreement on the issue.
Mestorf was one of a group of women denied permission to attend lectures on Goethe at the University of Kiel in 1884/85 because the professor refused to grant it. But in her field she was so respected that Rudolf Virchow
Rudolf Virchow
Rudolph Carl Virchow was a German doctor, anthropologist, pathologist, prehistorian, biologist and politician, known for his advancement of public health...
and others considered her assistance indispensable for an anthropological exhibition in Berlin in 1880 and persuaded the Ministry of Culture to grant her leave for the purpose.
Her research focussed on the prehistory of Schleswig-Holstein. She coined the terms Single Grave culture (Einzelgrabkultur) for the North German and South Scandinavian region of the Corded Ware culture
Corded Ware culture
The Corded Ware culture , alternatively characterized as the Battle Axe culture or Single Grave culture, is an enormous European archaeological horizon that begins in the late Neolithic , flourishes through the Copper Age and culminates in the early Bronze Age.Corded Ware culture is associated with...
, Prachtmantel for the characteristic decorative Germanic rectangular cloak, similar to the Roman sagum
Sagum
The sagum was a garment of note generally worn by members of the Roman military during both the Republic and early Empire. Regarded symbolically as a garment of war by the same tradition which embraced the toga as a garment of peace, it was slightly more practical in any event, consisting of a...
, and Bog body
Bog body
Bog bodies, which are also known as bog people, are the naturally preserved human corpses found in the sphagnum bogs in Northern Europe. Unlike most ancient human remains, bog bodies have retained their skin and internal organs due to the unusual conditions of the surrounding area...
(Moorleiche) for the human bodies and body parts found in European bog
Bog
A bog, quagmire or mire is a wetland that accumulates acidic peat, a deposit of dead plant material—often mosses or, in Arctic climates, lichens....
s. She catalogued the prehistoric finds of Schleswig-Holstein and educated the public on the importance of preserving them; she is responsible for the Danevirke
Danevirke
The Danevirke The Danevirke The Danevirke (modern Danish spelling: Dannevirke; in Old Norse Danavirki ; in German Danewerk ; is a system of Danish fortifications in Schleswig-Holstein (Northern Germany). This important linear defensive earthwork was constructed across the neck of the Cimbrian...
and many other archaeological sites having been promptly investigated and preserved. She also concerned herself with documenting and preserving the traditional silver jewellery of Holstein farm families, and donated a collection to the Thaulow Museum.
Shortly before her death, Mestorf made a RM500 deposit in memory of her parents to endow an annual meal of "a strong beef soup with dumplings" for twelve impoverished elderly women in Bramstedt on her mother's birthday, 24 June.
A street on the campus of the University of Kiel is named for her; on it are located the Department for European Ethnology and the Institute for Prehistory and Ancient History, where the Johanna Mestorf lecture theatre is also named for her and has a portrait of her on display. She was buried in her family's area in a Hamburg cemetery; the Schleswig archaeological museum paid for the upkeep of her grave until it was cleared, and the stone has since stood in the reading room of the museum library.
Honours
In addition to her honorary doctorate and professorship, Johanna Mestorf was elected to honorary or corresponding membership in 19 learned societies, including the Berlin Society for Anthropology, Ethnology and Prehistory (1891), the Munich Anthropological Society, the Swedish Association for Prehistory, the Finnish Association for Prehistory and the Anthropological Society of Vienna.She was awarded the following medals:
- Small Gold Medal for Art and Science (1904)
- Silver Women's Order of Service
- Swedish Gold Medal of the Wife of Oscar IOscar I of SwedenOscar I was King of Sweden and Norway from 1844 to his death. When, in August 1810, his father Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte was elected Crown Prince of Sweden, Oscar and his mother moved from Paris to Stockholm . Oscar's father was the first ruler of the current House of Bernadotte...
On her retirement, she received a photograph personally signed by Emperor Wilhelm II, because no other form of recognition was possible for a woman.
Selected publications
- Wiebeke Kruse, eine holsteinische Bauerntochter. Ein Blatt aus der Zeit Christians IV. Hamburg: Meissner, 1866. (historical novelisation)
- Der archäologische Congress in Bologna. Aufzeichnungen. Hamburg: Meissner, 1871.
- Der internationale archäologische und anthropologische Congress in Stockholm am 7. bis 16. August 1874 – siebente Versammlung. Hamburg: Meissner, 1874.
- Der internationale Anthropologen- und Archäologen-Congress in Budapest vom 4. bis 11. September 1876 – achte Versammlung. Hamburg: Meissner, 1876.
- Die vaterländischen Alterthümer Schleswig-Holsteins. Ansprache an unsere Landsleute. Hamburg: Meißner, 1877.
- Vorgeschichtliche Alterthümer aus Schleswig-Holstein. Zum Gedächtnis des fünfzigjährigen Bestehens des Museums vaterländischer Alterthümer in Kiel. Hamburg: Meissner, 1885.
- Katalog der im germanischen Museum befindlichen vorgeschichtlichen Denkmäler. Rosenberg'sche Sammlung. Nuremberg: Germanisches Museum, 1886.
- Urnenfriedhöfe in Schleswig-Holstein. Hamburg: Meissner, 1886.
- "Aus dem Steinalter. Gräber ohne Steinkammer unter Bodenniveau". Mitteilungen des Anthropologischen Vereins in Schleswig-Holstein 1892, pp. 9–24.
- "Moorleichen". In Bericht des Museums Vaterländischer Alterthümer bei der Universität Kiel 42 (1900)
- (with Karl Albert Weber). Wohnstätten der älteren neolithischen Periode in der Kieler Föhrde. Kiel: Lipsius & Tischer, 1904.
- Führer durch das Schleswig-Holsteinische Museum Vaterländischer Altertümer in Kiel. Kiel: Dr. von Schmidt & Klaunig, 1909.
Sources
- Julia K. Koch and Eva-Maria Mertens, eds. Eine Dame zwischen 500 Herren. Johanna Mestorf – Werk und Wirkung. Frauen - Forschung - Archäologie 4. Münster: Waxmann, 2002. ISBN 3830910665. Proceedings of a conference held by the University of Kiel in Bad Bramstedt, 15–17 April 1999, in celebration of the centenary of Mestorf's receipt of the title of professor.
- Anna Ziel. "Vom Ehrenamt zur anerkannten Wissenschaft. Die archäologische Karriere der Johanna Mestorf war einzigartig im Norddeutschland des 19. Jahrhunderts". Antike Welt 38.1 (2007) 46–48
- Obituary in American Journal of Archaeology 14 (1910) p. 96.
- Obituary in Suomen Museo pp. 91-93
External links
- Works by and about Johanna Mestorf in the German National LibraryGerman National LibraryThe German National Library is the central archival library and national bibliographic centre for the Federal Republic of Germany...