Regina Josepha von Siebold earned a government license to practice as a doctor of obstetrics and a midwife on 28 November 1807, marking a turning point for women in German medicine. After performing exceptionally on a four-hour examination, she became the first woman in Germany to hold a formal university degree.
Early Life and Education
Born in 1771 in Geismar, Regina Josepha Henning was raised by her uncle, Lorenz Henning, a city councilman in Heiligenstadt. Her early life was marked by loss, including the death of her first husband, Georg Heiland, by 1793. Following a period of illness, she married Dr. Damian Siebold in 1795. The pair eventually settled in Darmstadt. Despite obstetrics being a male-dominated field, Siebold began attending gynecology lectures at the University of Würzburg, initially observing from behind a curtain.
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Supported by her father-in-law, Carl Casper von Siebold, and her uncle, she pursued formal recognition of her skills. She successfully petitioned Grand Duke Ludwig IV of Hesse-Darmstadt for permission to sit for a medical examination. Upon passing this rigorous test in 1807, she attained professional status. In 1815, Ferdinand von Ritgen awarded her an honorary doctorate of medicine in obstetrics from the University of Giessen, cementing her status as a pioneer in her field.
Clinical Work and Legacy
Siebold managed a medical clinic in Darmstadt, often assisted by her daughter, Charlotte Heidenreich von Siebold. Charlotte went on to receive her own degree in obstetrics from the University of Giessen in 1817 and famously assisted in the birth of the future Queen Victoria in 1819. Regina von Siebold died in 1849 and was buried in Darmstadt. Today, her impact on the medical profession is acknowledged by a crater on Venus bearing her name.
Fast facts
- Born: 1771, Geismar
- Died: 1849, Darmstadt
- Citizenship: Kingdom of Prussia
- Primary Occupations: Physician, midwife, gynecologist, obstetrician
- Medical License Date: 28 November 1807
- Honorary Degree: University of Giessen, 1815
- Legacy: Crater on Venus named in her honor
Questions readers ask
What was Regina von Siebold's greatest professional achievement?
She was the first woman in Germany to receive a university degree, granted following her successful completion of a four-hour examination in 1807.
Where did she conduct her medical practice?
She practiced and managed a medical clinic in Darmstadt.
