Justine Siegemund: Interesting Facts about a German Midwife

On March 28, 2023, Google, the renowned search engine, unveiled a captivating Google Doodle as a tribute to Justine Siegemund, also known as Siegemundin, a celebrated midwife hailing from Lower Silesia. Her renowned publication, “Court Midwife” (1690), holds the distinction of being the most widely read obstetrical manual in German, authored by a woman. For intriguing insights and enjoyable tidbits about Justine Siegemund, delve into her life and accomplishments here.

Who was Justine Siegemund?

Quick Look

• Birth name: Justine Diettrich
• Birth date: 26 December 1636
• Birthplace: Rohnstock, Lower Silesia
• Died on: 10 November 1705 (aged 68)
• Death place: Berlin
• Famous as: a German midwife
• Known for: The Court Midwife (1690)
• Spouse: Christian Siegemund

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25 Interesting Facts about Justine Siegemund:

1. In the 17th century, Justine Siegemund challenged patriarchal attitudes as a midwife.
2. Born on December 26, 1636, in Rohnstock (now Roztoka), she was the daughter of a Lutheran minister in the former Silesian Duchy of Jawor.
3. In 1655, she married Christian Siegemund, an accountant. Their 42-year union, though childless, greatly supported Justine in her professional life.
4. Despite not having children, Justine technically should have been disqualified from her midwifery profession, as only pregnant midwives were allowed to practice.
5. Justine’s own experience with misdiagnosed pregnancy, caused by a prolapsed uterus as a young woman, inspired her to become a midwife and improve obstetrical education.
6. At the age of twenty, Justine suffered due to the incompetence of midwives who falsely believed she was pregnant. This experience motivated her to delve into obstetrics for the first time when assisting with a case of obstructed labor in 1659.
7. Starting her career by offering free services to underprivileged women after completing her apprenticeship, Justine gained fame for her skill in guiding pregnant women through challenging births. Her reputation quickly spread across the country.
8. Justine initially provided free midwifery services to poor and peasant women until 1670. Over time, she expanded her clientele to include women from merchant and noble families.
9. Due to her thriving midwifery practice and expanding client base, Justine was called upon to remove a cervical tumor that threatened Luise Duchess of Legnica, as male doctors sought her professional expertise.
10. In 1670, Justine was granted the title of “city midwife” of Legnica/Lignitz.
11. In 1683, Frederick William, Elector of Brandenburg, appointed her as the court midwife, the Chur-Brandenburgische Hof-Wehemutter, impressed by her expertise and talent.
12. Justine accepted an official position as the City Midwife of Lignitz in 1683. Later, she became the Court Midwife in Berlin, attending to the deliveries of the royal family.
13. During her time in Berlin, Justine published “The Court Midwife,” which significantly improved the health of German mothers and infants.
14. Justine Siegemund played a role in the births of four children of Marie-Amalie, Duchess of Saxony-Zeitz, who was the sister of Frederick III.
15. She assisted the Saxon Electress Eberhardine in giving birth to her son, Frederick August II, at the court of August the Strong in 1696. She also attended other births in the Berlin area.
16. While in the Netherlands, Mary II of Orange (1662–1694) suggested to Justine that she write a training manual for midwives. However, Justine had likely already compiled “The Court Midwife.”
17. Justine preferred minimal use of pharmaceuticals or surgical instruments in her practice. According to the Berlin deacon who presided over her funeral, she had delivered nearly 6,200 children by the time of her death on November 10, 1705, in Berlin.
18. In 1689, Justine made a journey from The Hague to Frankfurt on the Oder, where she submitted her draft manual to the medical faculty, gaining approval for her medical documentation.
19. In 1690, Justine published “The Court Midwife” (or “Die Kgl. Preußische und Chur-Brandenburgische Hof-Wehemutter”), an authoritative obstetrical text based on meticulous delivery notes.
20. Before Justine’s publication, German midwives relied on oral knowledge, lacking consistent documentation of safe birth practices. “The Court Midwife” became the first comprehensive childbirth guide in Germany.
21. Justine Siegemund, along with François Mauriceau, is credited with discovering a method for puncturing the amniotic sac to treat hemorrhaging placenta previa.
22. Following Justine’s death, “The Court Midwife” was republished multiple times, including editions in Berlin (1708) and Leipzig (1715, 1724). Later republications included modifications, validating male gynecological references and introducing accounts of the Kerger and Petermann cases in 1723, 1741, 1752, and 1756.
23. Justine Siegemund was the first female author in Germany to publish a book on obstetrics.
24. She became the first woman to publish a significant medical text in German, at a time when formal education was limited for women.
25. On March 28, 2023, Google honored Justine Siegemund with a Google doodle, commemorating the official certification of her book, “The Court Midwife,” by the European University Viadrina Frankfurt (Oder) in 1690.

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