Kirstine Meyer

Kirstine Meyer (1861-1941) took an examination for the MSc degree in physics in 1892, at the age of 31. Immediately afterwards, she was employed at Natalie Zahle's school as a science teacher. Later, in 1900, she was employed at her friend Hanna Adler's school.

Parallel to her physics teaching, she prepared the thesis The development of the concept of temperature through time: and its connection with changing ideas about the nature of heat.

At the official thesis defense in May 1909, the journalist for the newspaper Dagens Nyheder was present and his subsequent mention in the newspaper was full of praise:

As one might expect, there was not the slightest trace of nervousness on the part of the candidate [i.e. the examinee] during the thesis defence. (…) Of the opponents, Professor Ellinger emphasized that Mrs. Meyer's thesis dealt with an interesting problem that was treated with superior ability and would attract attention not only among our own physicists, but also outside the borders of our country.

But despite her thesis, which made her the first Danish female PhD in natural sciences, there was no position for her at the university. Instead, she had to continue her research on her own alongside her teaching. She founded, among other things, “Fysisk Tidsskrift” (a journal) and published a number of theses about the astronomer Ole Rømer.

Meyer was also interested in the new pedagogical trends that shifted the focus from rote learning and cramming to student exercises and physics experiments. In this context, in 1902 she also published the teaching book "Lille Naturlære" (Little Natural Science), which was intended for students aged 12-14. The book went through many editions - the last in 1930.

It was not until 1928 – twenty years after her thesis – that she became head of the examiners of the mathematics programme at the University of Copenhagen.

Kirstine Meyer had graduated from upper secondary education in 1885, and in the same year she had married the mathematician Adolph Meyer. They had a son, Johannes, for whom Kirstine Meyer was given guardianship when her husband died at the age of only 42 in 1896.