Johanna "Jeanette" Apollonia Berglind (21 August 1816, in Stockholm – 14 September 1903, in Stockholm), was a Swedish

sign language Sign languages (also known as signed languages) are languages that use the visual-manual modality to convey meaning, instead of spoken words. Sign languages are expressed through manual articulation in combination with non-manual markers. Sign l ...

teacher and principal. In 1860, she founded one of the first schools for the

deaf Deafness has varying definitions in cultural and medical contexts. In medical contexts, the meaning of deafness is hearing loss that precludes a person from understanding spoken language, an audiological condition. In this context it is written ...

and

mute Muteness is a speech disorder in which a person lacks the ability to speak. Mute or the Mute may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Mute'' (2005 film), a short film by Melissa Joan Hart * ''Mute'' (2018 film), a scien ...

in her country: '' Tysta Skolan'' (Silent School) in Stockholm.

Biography

Johanna Berglind became an

orphan An orphan (from the el, ορφανός, orphanós) is a child whose parents have died. In common usage, only a child who has lost both parents due to death is called an orphan. When referring to animals, only the mother's condition is usuall ...

early in life and was adopted by a widow: from about the age of ten, she was the ward of a relative of her late mother, Per Aron Borg, who was the pioneer of the education of deaf and mute in Sweden and the founder and principal of Manillaskolan (originally , 'Public Institute of the Blind and Deaf') in Stockholm. Berglind had weak health for many years after having broken her leg at the age of three. From 1834 to 1840, she was a teacher at the institute for the deaf and mute operated by Borg. After his death in 1839, she supported herself as a governess, housekeeper and a

lady's companion A lady's companion was a woman of genteel birth who lived with a woman of rank or wealth as retainer. The term was in use in the United Kingdom from at least the 18th century to the mid-20th century but it is now archaic. The profession is known ...

. Berglind had the ambition to found a school pension for the deaf and saved her salary to finance it. In April 1860, she started the '' Tysta Skolan'' with the few students and one additional teacher that she could afford. The costs were too great for her small fund, however. In 1862,

Fredrika Bremer Fredrika Bremer (17 August 1801 – 31 December 1865) was a Finland, Finnish-born Sweden and Norway, Swedish Swedish literature, writer and feminism in Sweden, feminist reformer. Her ''Sketches of Everyday Life'' were wildly popular in Bri ...

described her work in the press and asked for contributions. This brought the project recognition around the country and attracted a lot of attention from private benefactors: a school board was made and the school was given the protection of King

Charles XV Charles XV also Carl (''Carl Ludvig Eugen''); Swedish: ''Karl XV'' and Norwegian: ''Karl IV'' (3 May 1826 – 18 September 1872) was King of Sweden (''Charles XV'') and Norway, there often referred to as Charles IV, from 8 July 1859 until his dea ...

and Queen Louise and given governmental support. This made it possible for her to acquire a proper building for the school in 1866, and by 1872 the school was no longer in debt and reportedly filled a great need: in 1863, she had been forced to deny 75 students because of the costs. Berglind was described as a humble and warm personality, which gained a lot of support from private financiers because of her agreeable personality. She was described as a tender mother to her students, as one of her goals with the school had been to see to their emotional needs as well. As an educator, she had been instructed in sign language by her mentor Borg, and she preferred this method at her school: she did introduce speaking methods to her students in 1868, but did not consider it a success. She accepted students with an individual fee. She was the principal of the school from 1860 to 1882. Her school was highly regarded: three of her female students were to serve as teachers at the later public schools for the elderly deaf and mute. In 1880, she was promised a governmental pension on the date of her retirement. Berglind retired in September 1882.

Awards

She was given the gold royal medal ' (In Service of the State) and a pension from the state. The same year, she was made honorary chairperson in the Stockholm Deaf and Mute Society.

References

Other sources

* Wilhelmina Stålberg, P. G. Berg.
Berglind, Johanna
(Anteckningar om svenska qvinnor) * Svenska kvinnor. Föregångare Nyskapare - Carin Österberg * Jeanette A Berglind, urn:sbl:18627, Svenskt biografiskt lexikon (art av Erik Hanson.), hämtad 2014-08-14.

Biography

Awards

See also

References

Other sources

Further reading