Binnenstad in Utrecht, Netherlands — Northwestern Europe
Anna Maria van Schurman
Anna Maria van Schurman lived here.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Education • Women. A significant historical date for this entry is May 4, 1678.
Location. 52° 5.471′ N, 5° 7.373′ E. Marker is in Utrecht. It is in Binnenstad. Marker is at the intersection of Achter de Dom and Voetiusstraat, on the left when traveling south on Achter de Dom. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: Achter de Dom 6, Utrecht 3512 JB, Netherlands. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Hendrik Marsman (within shouting distance of this marker); Castellum Trajectum (within shouting distance of this marker); Utrechtse Sodomieprocessen / Utrecht Sodomy Trials (within shouting distance of this marker); Verzetsmonument Utrecht / Utrecht Resistance Monument (within shouting distance of this marker); Groot Kapittelhuis van de Dom / Great Chapter House of the Cathedral (about 90 meters away, measured in a direct line); Het Runensteen van Jelling Afgietsel / The Jelling Runestone Replica (about 90 meters away); In Het Voetspuur Van Sint Maarten / In the Footsteps of Saint Martin (about 90 meters away); Universiteit Utrecht / Utrecht University (about 90 meters away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Utrecht.
Also see . . . Anna Maria van Schurman (Wikipedia).
Overview: Anna Maria van Schurman (November 5, 1607 – May 4, 1678) was a Dutch painter, engraver, poet, classical scholar, philosopher, and feminist writer who is best known for her exceptional learning and her defence of female education. She was a highly educated woman, who excelled in art, music, and literature, and became a polyglot proficient in fourteen languages, including Latin, Ancient Greek, Biblical Hebrew, Arabic, Syriac, Aramaic, and Ethiopic, as well as various contemporary European languages. She was the first woman to unofficially study at a Dutch university.(Submitted on September 20, 2023.)
At the University: In 1634, due to her distinction in Latin, she was invited to write a poem for the opening of the University of Utrecht. In the poem she celebrated the city of Utrecht and the new university. She noted the potential for the university to help the city cope with the economic impacts of the floods and the shifting course of the river Rhine. She also challenged the exclusion of women from the university. In response to her complaint, the university authorities allowed her to attend professor Voetius' lectures. In 1636 she became the first female student at the university, or at any Dutch university. Women at that time were not permitted to study at a university in Protestant Netherlands, and when she attended lectures she sat behind a screen or in a curtained booth so that the male students could not see her. At the university she studied Hebrew, Arabic, Chaldee, Syriac and Ethiopian. Her interest in philosophy and theology and her artistic talent contributed to her fame and reputation as the "Star of Utrecht". By the 1640s she was fluent in 14 languages and wrote in Latin, Greek, Hebrew, Italian, French, Arabic, Persian, Ethiopian, German and Dutch
Credits. This page was last revised on December 24, 2023. It was originally submitted on September 20, 2023, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California. This page has been viewed 41 times since then and 3 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on September 20, 2023, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California.