Grete Henry: The Bremen pioneer of science and pedagogy

Discover the life of Grete Henry, a pioneer of science and pedagogy from Bremen, overcame countless hurdles.
Discover the life of Grete Henry, a pioneer of science and pedagogy from Bremen, overcame countless hurdles. (Symbolbild/MB)

Grete Henry: The Bremen pioneer of science and pedagogy

A fascinating life of the scientist Grete Henry, who saw the light of day in Bremen in 1901. She laid the foundation for her impressive career early on in a time when mathematics and natural sciences were a major challenge for women. Her parents did everything possible to give her access to education so that she could attend a high school that was usually not accessible to girls at the time. In 1925 she made her doctorate in mathematics, which was completely remarkable at that time. So Bremen two that she asserted herself through her achievements in a men's-dominated world.

Grete Henry, whose birth name was Grete Hermann, grew up as the third of seven children in a bourgeois-Protestant Bremen merchant family. After graduating from high school, she trained as a elementary school teacher and studied at the universities in Göttingen and Freiburg im Breisgau. She wrote her dissertation on the "question of the finally many steps in the theory of the polynomial ideals" under the supervision of Emmy Noether, one of the most important mathematicians of her time, as reported. Wikipedia

a life in resistance and in science

grete commitment went beyond science. She was the only woman in the scientific discussion about quantum mechanics and not only insisted on raising her voice, but even discovered a mistake in the work of one of the leading physicists of her time, Werner Heisenberg. This led to a personal exchange, which she further deepened in Leipzig in 1934 when she discussed the philosophical foundations of quantum mechanics with other atomic physicists. It was a brave voice against National Socialism and joined the international socialist combat association, which required risk and courage in a supportive situation.

1938 she emigrated to London to escape the persecution in Germany, and married Edward Henry, which gave her protection as a British citizen. This time was not only shaped by an escape from terrorized everyday life, but also by her tireless commitment to socially just and reason -oriented educational courses, according to the

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1950 she had to give up the management, but remained at the university as a professor of philosophy and physics until 1966. Her influence on teacher training and the educational debates in Bremen was huge. Her scientific work was also recognized and appreciated internationally. Grete Henry's life's work is an impressive example of the rise of a strong, educated woman at a time that was often shaped by restrictions. She died in Bremen in 1984 at the age of 83 and left a major legacy.

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OrtBremen, Deutschland
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