Justine Siegemund

Siegemund (26 December 1636 – 10 November 1705) was a midwife in the 17th century and was the first person in her country of Germany to write an obstetrics book ...

The award recognises work in the history of medicine by young scholars. Siegemund died on 10 November 1705 but her book continued to be studied into the 18th and 19th centuries. Siegemund detailed her experience of successfully delivering healthy babies as early as 37 weeks, contrary to medical beliefs of the time.

You might have questions about who Justine Siegemund is as Google Doodle honors the German midwife who paved a way for childbirth education.

In 1670, Siegemund was named the “city midwife” of Legnica (Lignitz). After she was named “city midwife,” Siegemund increasingly gained clientele from noble families. This technically should have disqualified Justine Siegemund from her profession, as it was rule that only childbearing midwives were able to practice. [Google Doodle](/en-gb/topic/google-doodle) in 1998, the transformed search engine homepage has offered an opportunity to educate masses about important figures from history. This text helped standardize the way to safe birth practices, given that this Siegemund was born to a Lutheran minister who died when she was just 14 years old.

The Google Doodle can be seen in America, the UK, Germany, Iceland and Greece.

“Siegemund’s visibility as a writer, midwife, and proponent of an incipient professionalism accorded her a status virtually unknown to German women in the seventeenth century. The Court Midwife was the first to offer a comprehensive guide on childbirth in Germany. More than a technical manual, The Court Midwife contains descriptions of obstetric techniques of midwifery and its attendant social pressures. She also published The Court Midwife during this time and greatly improved maternal and infant health in Germany. “After an apprenticeship, Siegemund began her career in midwifery by offering free services to underprivileged women. Google says: “Today’s Doodle celebrates Justine Siegemund, a midwife who dared to challenge patriarchal attitudes in the 17th century.

Justine Siegemund: The midwife who dared to challenge patriarchal attitudes in the 17th century The Google Doodle celebrates Justine Siegemund, a midwife ...

Siegemund’s work on obstetrics became well-known across Europe at the time, and her book changed the perception of those in the field. More than a technical manual, The Court Midwife contains descriptions of obstetric techniques of midwifery and its attendant social pressures.” She was the first person in Germany to write a book on obstetrics from a woman’s perspective”. Her most famous work, The Court Midwife, helped standardise midwifery practices in the country, which helped mothers and their babies overcome childbirth complications. This lack of knowledge inspired her to become a woman who could educate future midwives and women looking to give birth. Born in Rohnstock, Lower Silesia, in 1636, Siegemund became one of the most influential figures in this field in central Europe.

Justine Siegemund wrote The Court Midwife and as a result became the first woman to publish a seminal medical text in German.

Siegemund wrote The Court Midwife with lots of compassion towards women, which was unusual in comparison to other texts available at the time which were written by men. She was then later made the Court Midwife of Berlin in 1701. Following the release of her book The Court Midwife, she became the first woman to publish a seminal medical text in German.

Tuesday's Google Doodle recognized 17th century midwife Justine Siegemund who penned "The Court Midwife," the first obstetrics book written from a woman's ...

One of the "Os" in the Google artwork features a fetus in a womb with a pair of hands reaching in towards the baby's head, while the second "O" in the word is replaced with a cartoon portrait of Siegemund writing with a quill. The second "G" in Google depicts a smiling woman cradling a newborn baby.

The Google Doodle is honouring Justine Siegemund, the pioneering midwife who challenged patriarchal attitudes in the 17th century and is visible today in ...

[Court Midwife of Berlin](/topic/court-midwife-of-berlin)in 1701. [Rohnstock](/topic/rohnstock), now called Roztoka, Lower Silesia, Justine Siegemund was motivated to become a midwife after being mistreated by midwives who wrongly diagnosed her with pregnancy instead of a prolapsed uterus at age 20. [Justine Siegemund](/topic/justine-siegemund), a revolutionary German midwife who defied gender norms in the 17th century, is being honoured today with a Google Doodle.