Kirstine Bjerrum Meyer (12 October 1861 – 28 September 1941) was a Danish

physicist A physicist is a scientist who specializes in the field of physics, which encompasses the interactions of matter and energy at all length and time scales in the physical universe. Physicists generally are interested in the root or ultimate cau ...

and was first woman from her country to earn a doctorate in natural sciences.

Biography

Kirstine Bjerrum was born in Skærbæk, Denmark and died in Hellerup. She was the daughter of Niels Janniksen Bjerrum (1826-1880) and Christiane Degn (1826-1877). She moved to Copenhagen at the age of 18, where she lived with her elder brother, ophthalmologist Jannik Petersen Bjerrum (1851–1920). In 1885, she married mathematician Adolph Constantin Meyer (1854-1896) and took his surname. Following the death of her husband in 1896, she became the sole parent of the couple's young son Johannes. In 1882, Kirstine Meyer had taken a teacher's degree from N. Zahles Skole. In 1885, she began her studies at the

University of Copenhagen The University of Copenhagen ( da, Københavns Universitet, KU) is a prestigious public university, public research university in Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark. Founded in 1479, the University of Copenhagen is the second-oldest university in ...

. In 1893, she graduated with a Master's Degree in physics. She was associated with the school from 1885 to 1909 and then continued as a censor at N. Zahles Skole for a number of years. From 1892-93 she was also a substitute at the boys' school

Metropolitanskolen Metropolitanskolen ("The Metropolitan School") was a school in Copenhagen, Denmark founded in 1209 by the Bishop , and for centuries one of the most prestigious schools in the country. History The school was founded in 1209 next to the Church of ...

. She was a high school teacher for many years, working on her education and research in

physics Physics is the natural science that studies matter, its fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge which ...

at the same time. She won the Gold Medal of the Royal Danish Academy of Science and Letters in 1899, for a paper examining whether there exists a general equation of state for all fluid bodies, ''Om overensstemmende Tilstande hos Stofferne''. She received her Ph.D. in physics from the

in 1909, becoming the first Danish woman to earn a doctorate in natural sciences. Her dissertation, ''Temperaturbegrebets Udvikling gennem Tiderne'' (The Development of the Temperature Concept through Time), was an in-depth treatment of the history of the concept of

temperature Temperature is a physical quantity that expresses quantitatively the perceptions of hotness and coldness. Temperature is measured with a thermometer. Thermometers are calibrated in various temperature scales that historically have relied o ...

. In 1902, Meyer founded ''Fysisk Tidsskrift'', the Danish journal of physics. She was its editor until 1913. In 1925, she was awarded the

Tagea Brandt Rejselegat The Tagea Brandts ''Rejselegat'' (Travel Scholarship) is a Danish award to women who have made a significant contribution in science, literature or art. The grant, which is given without application, was created and endowed by Danish industrialist ...

travel scholarship.

Awards and honors

* 1899, Scientific Society Gold Medal * 1920, Gold Medal of Merit * 1925, Tagea Brandts Travel Grant On 9 December 1986, DSB (the Danish railway company) named the newly delivered electric locomotive, Litra EA 3007, ''Kirstine Meyer.''

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Meyer, Kirstine 1861 births 1941 deaths Danish women physicists University of Copenhagen alumni 19th-century Danish physicists 20th-century Danish physicists 19th-century Danish women scientists 20th-century Danish women scientists People from Tønder Municipality

Biography

Awards and honors

See also

References