Baron Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than a lord or knig ...

ess Eva Charlotta Lovisa Sofia (Sophie) Mannerheim (21 December 1863 – 9 January 1928) was a famous nurse known as pioneer of modern nursing in

Finland Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...

. She was daughter of count

Carl Robert Mannerheim Count Carl Robert Mannerheim (1 February 1835 – 9 October 1914) was a Finnish aristocrat and businessman. He was the son of naturalist Carl Gustaf Mannerheim, and father of Marshal Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim. Biography Mannerheim wrote the sa ...

and sister of a former Finnish President, marshal

Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim Baron Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim (, ; 4 June 1867 – 27 January 1951) was a Finnish military leader and statesman. He served as the military leader of the Whites in the Finnish Civil War of 1918, as Regent of Finland (1918–1919), as comma ...

, as well as the artist and writer

Eva Mannerheim-Sparre Countess Eva Mannerheim-Sparre (1870–1957) was a Finnish book artist, designer and writer. Personal life Eva Mannerheim was born to the comital branch of the noble Mannerheim family, as the fifth child (of seven) of Count Carl Robert Man ...

. Her career started as a bank employee for 6 years until she married in 1896. After her divorce in 1902 she was trained in

nursing Nursing is a profession within the health care sector focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life. Nurses may be differentiated from other health ...

at the Nightingale School at

St Thomas' Hospital St Thomas' Hospital is a large NHS teaching hospital in Central London, England. It is one of the institutions that compose the King's Health Partners, an academic health science centre. Administratively part of the Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foun ...

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

. Returning home she was appointed as head nurse of

Helsinki Surgical Hospital The Helsinki Surgical Hospital (Finnish: ''Kirurginen sairaala'', Swedish: ''Kirurgiska sjukhuset''), often referred to as ''Kirurgi'' (Swedish: ''Kirurgen'') or simply ''Kirra'', is a hospital located in Helsinki, Finland, in the district of Ull ...

and later elected President of the Finnish Nurses' Association, a position she had for 24 years. As a result of her international involvement she was also elected President of the

International Council of Nurses The International Council of Nurses (ICN) is a federation of more than 130 national nurses associations. It was founded in 1899 and was the first international organization for health care professionals. It is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerl ...

(ICN). Sophie Mannerheim was, together with Dr

Arvo Ylppö Arvo Henrik Ylppö (27 October 1887 – 28 January 1992) was a Finnish physician and professor of pediatrics who significantly decreased Finnish infant mortality during the 20th century. He is credited as the father of Finland's public mat ...

, founder of the Children's Castle (Lastenlinna) hospital in Helsinki as well as the

Mannerheim League for Child Welfare Mannerheim League for Child Welfare ( fi, Mannerheimin Lastensuojeluliitto ry (MLL); sv, Mannerheims Barnskyddsförbund rf) is a Finnish non-governmental organization founded in 1920 that promotes the well-being of children, young people and fam ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mannerheim, Sophie 1863 births 1928 deaths People from Helsinki Sophie Finnish people of German descent Finnish people of Scottish descent Finnish people of Swedish descent Swedish-speaking Finns Finnish nurses 19th-century Finnish nobility 19th-century Swedish nobility 19th-century Finnish women