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[104] The women in Dr. Römer´s household

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The women at Dr. Römer´s clinic

Women have always worked in domestic and nursing roles in hospitals. In the 20th century, however, there were more and more female doctors, who eventually outnumbered their male counterparts. Dr. Römer´s clinic is an example of what women can achieve...

Female “medical officer”

On May 3, 1900, Margarita arrived in Hirsau with her husband, Dr. Carl Römer, and their two sons, Carlo and Helmuth, along with several patients from the small Cannstatt precursor clinic. The neurologist hoped that a new sanatorium in the Black Forest, surrounded by unspoiled nature, would offer his patients better chances of recovery. From the very beginning, his wife shaped the spirit of the house, because she took care not only of her own family, but also of guests and employees. Young local girls learned cooking and housekeeping, women worked in the laundry and ironing rooms, and nurses took care of the patients. Margarita was a widely respected figure and undertook many activities with patients, such as reading good texts together. After all, family was very important to her.

Dr. Anna Kleemann

After World War I, Dr. Kleemann worked at the Hirsau Sanatorium at a time when female doctors were still an exception in Germany. In 1918, she successfully completed her studies and doctorate in Tübingen and became involved in tuberculosis research in Munich. In 1921, she began working with Dr. Carl Römer, who specialized in psychoanalysis, psychosomatics, and Parkinson´s disease. She was active in scientific research, particularly in the field of encephalitis in connection with Parkinson´s syndrome, and eventually worked as a senior physician. From 1932 to 1954, she ran her own practice as a specialist in internal medicine and nervous disorders.

Aidlingen Sisters

The sisterhood of the Aidlingen mother house was and is a reliable factor in nursing care and maintaining operations. In 1945, the first sisters arrived in Hirsau by bicycle. They proved to be multi-talented. Not only did they work on the wards, administer injections, and work in the laboratory or outpatient clinic, they also organized Christmas parties, played music, and went on excursions with patients. They were proactive and always on hand, even when staffing levels were tight. There is an annex on the clinic grounds that was made available to some of the Aidlingen sisters for residential purposes from 1956 onwards.

Erika Römer-von Thellmann (1902-1988)

The daughter of an imperial officer, Erika Römer-von Thellmann made her debut at the Württemberg State Theater in Stuttgart. As the wife of Dr. Helmuth Römer and a mother, she devoted herself to her family responsibilities. Her son Hans-Bernhard later ran the clinic. Since she had learned Hungarian as a child, Hungarian-speaking women from northern Serbia also came to work at the clinic. She also provided the cultural program there by singing and reciting. She appeared in silent films at an early age and, in her later years, became a well-known figure in German feature films in numerous supporting roles. She played lovable, often somewhat foolish or unworldly ladies, with a tendency toward comedy. With around 160 film roles, she was one of the most sought-after German-speaking film actresses. At the same time, she continued her theater career and lived to the age of 86.