Ruth Vermehren (1894–1983) was a Danish Lutheran priest, one of the first three women to become priests of the Church of Denmark. An active member of the

Danish Women's Society The Danish Women's Society or DWS ( da, Dansk Kvindesamfund) is Denmark's oldest women's rights organization. It was founded in 1871 by activist Matilde Bajer and her husband Fredrik Bajer; Fredrik was a Member of Parliament and the 1908 Nobel Peac ...

, she was frequently invited to preach at the organization's events. As a result of legislation introduced by the Church Minister Carl Hermansen in 1947, the following year, together with Johanne Andersen and Edith Brenneche Petersen, she was ordained by Bishop Hans Øllgaard in

Odense Cathedral St. Canute's Cathedral ( da, Odense Domkirke or Sankt Knuds Kirke), also known as Odense Cathedral, is named after the Danish king Canute the Saint ( da, Knud den Hellige), otherwise Canute IV. It is a fine example of Brick Gothic architecture. T ...

. Denmark thus became the first country in the world to have women priests. Vermehren then served as a priest in

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan ar ...

's Women's Prison until she retired in 1964.

Biography

Born on 27 October 1894 in

, Ruth Vermehren was the daughter of the painter Gustav Vermehren (1863–1931) and Louise Borchsenius (1862–1954). She was brought up in a cultural environment. Her father was an artist and her grandfather was the celebrated portrait painter

Frederik Vermehren Johan Frederik (Frits) Nikolai Vermehren, also known as Frederik Vermehren (12 May 1823 – 10 January 1910), a genre and portrait painter in the realist style. His artistic career took place during the period of Danish art known as the Golden ...

. From an early age, she was interested in religion, deciding to become a priest when she was preparing to be confirmed. After matriculating form

N. Zahle's School N. Zahle's School (Danish: N. Zahles Skole) is a private school located on Nørre Voldgade in Copenhagen, Denmark. Named after its founder, Natalie Zahle (1827–1913), it now consists of two independently run primary schools and a Gymnasium. Hi ...

in 1914, she began to study

theology Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...

but soon had to abandon her studies for lack of funds. After working for a time as a secretary in Denmark's Christian Association (''Danmarks Kristelige Studenterforbund''), she returned to her studies in 1923, qualifying in 1927. She devoted her future to the prisoners in Copenhagen's women's jails, initially without pay but from 1929 acting as a paid substitute for the priest when he was on holiday. She held services in the prison church but was unable to conduct communion. From 1921, backed by women's organizations, she campaigned for women's ordination but to no avail. She frequently preached at the events arranged by the

. In 1944, 16 female theologians called on the Danish bishops to allow Vermehren to be ordained. After an initial refusal, in 1947 the Church Minister Carl Hermansen put forward legislation authorizing women to become priests. In 1948, Vermehren was ordained by the bishop of Funen, Hans Øllgaard, together with Johanne Andersen and Edith Brenneche Petersen. Thereafter she worked as the resident priest in Copenhagen's Women's Prison from 1949 to 1964. On her retirement, she was honoured with the

Order of the Dannebrog The Order of the Dannebrog ( da, Dannebrogordenen) is a Danish order of chivalry instituted in 1671 by Christian V. Until 1808, membership in the order was limited to fifty members of noble or royal rank, who formed a single class known a ...

. Ruth Vermehren died in Copenhagen on 6 May 1983. She is buried in Hellerup Cemetery.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vermehren, Ruth 1894 births 1983 deaths Clergy from Copenhagen Ordination of women in Christianity Women Lutheran clergy Knights of the Order of the Dannebrog 20th-century Danish Lutheran clergy

Biography

See also

References