Tell me about an amazing woman in history that I may not have heard about?

The first couple remind me of a lady I met while working in hospitals.

I commented on her unusual name (can't remember it now and it would be a breach of confidentiality to say it if I could).

She was German and moved to the UK after WWII, which obviously is quite unusual.

She and her husband were undertakers, they had hidden numerous Jewish children in coffins and 'exported' them to various places out of Germany.

She said how scary it must have been for these children.

I wonder how many people like her there are?

And not just people who took part in organised underground activities.

And listening to the radio the other day there was a drama on - not sure if real or fictional - but a Jewish man was about to be arrested by the SS when people, just ordinary random people, got between him and the SS and bundled him on to a tram, which saved his life.

I also reread/read the latest edition or Anne Frank's diary, things have be reedited in to it that were left out of the original publication but were written by AF if that makes sense, things like the names being edited to who they actually are.

Anyway at one point there is a break in at the warehouse, the family hear voices and then silence.

A few days later one of the employees is told by a neighbour that they were walking past at night, saw someone break in and shouted at them to leave. They had not called the police because of 'your situation'.

I wonder how many lives were saved by people keeping quiet, or ignoring things, or not calling the police?

sorry I have totally diverted this thread.

Fatima Al Fihri who founded the world's first academic degree granting institution of higher education, which is still running today.

Two from chez Pratchett. Catherine Bar the Door. DH, quite the history feminist, says Tomoe Gozen.

Thanks for the others, must print this thread.

Marking place, great thread

George Eliot

Marianne Moore

Frances Partridge

G. E. Anscombe

Sylvia Townsend Warner

Clara Barton in particular was an amazing person - an abolitionist, and tended the wounded on Civil War battlefields.

Martha Ballard, 18thc midwife in New England who wrote an account of her professional experiences, A Midwife's Tale;

Clara Barton, founder of the American Red Cross;

Mary Hobart, one of America's first professional woman doctors

• all three related!

That's really shit, you'll. I know I learned about Olave.

Agnes Baden-Powell.
Robert B-P created Scouts, but the girls wanted to join in, so his sister Agnes created Guides.

She was later shoved out sidelined by B-Ps much younger wife, Olave. It was Olave's name that appeared in Guiding histories until relatively recently, when Agnes's contribution began to be recognised.

I love Pope Joan, lesser.

We've not had Flora Sandes yet, have we? She is the only British woman who was officially enlisted in the army in WWI. She actually joined the Serbian army (after doing first aid) because she was so keen to serve - all her family were soldiers.

Nigella maybe if you had remembered you would have got the link to work properly unlike me Still haven't figured out iPad!

Has anyone mentioned Helen Sharman, who answered an advert 'Wanted. Astronaut. No experience necessary' and became first Brit in space.

Am going to spend hours checking out the links on this thread.

Mary Shelley

Her mother, Mary Wollstonecraft

All the women in The Wilder Shores of Love

Pope Joan

Amy Jacques Garvey

seasalt that is sooo weird I was just trying to remember Grace O'Malley's name and then you posted that!

Ooooh. Brilliant thread.

Local woman Victoria Drummond fascinates me. Relatively unknown - she was the first female marine engineer - took the Chief Engineer exam 37 times but they wouldn't allow her to pass.

One attempt ended with the other examinees walking out of the exam as they wouldn't take the exam with a woman.

An Irish one [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grace_O'Malley]

(Can you tell I am jealous I didn't ge to say Christine de Pizan or Margaret Beaufort first?! ).

Hild of Whitby also important. She headed a monastery of men and women and is one of the most important early(ish) Christian examples of the fact that women were given responsibility in the historic church so precedent is no reason for sexism now.

Also Waris Dirie and Ayaan Hirsi Ali, though you've probably heard of them. The first is a model who wrote about her experience of being circumcised at a young age and who is brilliant; the second is a politician who campaigns against FGM, also from a position of knowledge.

Most will have heard of her, but Dame Cicely Saunders, founder of the hospice movement.

Jeanne de Montbaston.

She worked as an illuminator of manuscripts at a time where lots of idiot scholars used to think no women were professionals (in fact there were all-women guilds at the time, but don't let that spoil a good story).

Jeanne and her husband worked together, in Paris, illustrating some of the most important books of the day. But we know some books were illustrated just by her, including some pictures where she illustrates a really misogynistic text but putting pictures of women picking penises and putting them in a basket. I think it's a giant 'fuck you' to the text. .

She isn't 'amazing' in a politically important way but I love her anyway.

I love reading about the Matildas. They were amazing women.

Matilda of Flanders, William the Conqueror's queen. Feisty.

Matilda of Scotland, Henry I's queen. Gave as good as she got.

Matilda of Boulogne, Stephen's queen. Gathered support for her husband during the war, in her own right.

Empress Matilda, who was nearly our first queen. Her son, Henry II, succeeded to the throne of England and married Eleanor of Acquitaine - she must have reminded him of his formidable mother!

maybe that is a different Gwenllian...

oh oh poor Princess Gwenllian I only heard of her recently - such a pretty name as well....

Billie Holliday.

Sang it how it was and was a great account of the atrocities happening.
Strong woman who suffered dv, drug addiction but still kept going like she was possessed.

Dorothy Lawrence fought in WWI.

I love this thread :)