Bertha Kipfmüller
Bertha Kipfmüller (28 February 1861 – 3 March 1948) was described by an admiring journalist as a "small person with a powerful voice and an iron will". Her work as a German school teacher made her a women's rights activist and a pioneering figure in respect of women's education. She was, in addition, a committed pacifist during a period remembered for intensifying nationalist-populism in Europe, a linguistic genius and a passionate believer in life-long learning.In 1899 Kipfmüller became the first woman in Bavaria to receive a doctorate. In 1929, after retiring from her work as a school teacher, she earned a second doctorate. In 1942 she wrote her autobiography, using notebook diaries. It had been her intention that it should be published during her lifetime. That did not happen; but 65 years after her death it was, triggering a renewed interest in her life and achievements. One reason that it had not been published sooner was that she wrote much of it using Gabelsberger shorthand, which presumably made sense at a time when writing paper was in short supply. But it was a form of shorthand that had not been widely used or understood, even in Germany, since the 1920s. It was her great x 2 nephew, Hans-Peter Kipfmüller, who mastered the script and transcribed the book into a more usable format, before arranging for its publication. Provided by Wikipedia
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