Institute Institute Facilities loanable exhibitions
Women in the early days of nature conservation

Travelling exhibition "Women in the beginnings of nature conservation - searching for traces 1900-1933".


Texts on the historiography of nature conservation and the living situation of women at the beginning of the century frame five portraits of early women conservationists. A leaflet contains the contents in short form.

Introduced are: Lina Hähnle (1851-1941), founder of the League for the Protection of Birds; Margarete Ida Boie (1880-1946), writer and particularly committed to "gentle tourism" on the North Sea islands; Theda Behme (1877-1961), journalist and photographer, committed against the defacement of the landscape by outdoor advertising; Elisabeth Rudorff (1879-1963), campaigner for the protection of the Ith; Margot Büttner (1900-1987), co-founder of the "Volksbund Naturschutz".

The texts of the exhibition can be found here in German and English 

Travelling exhibition "Women in the beginnings of nature conservation - searching for traces 1900-1933".
At the suggestion of the working group, five streets in a new residential area in Hanover now bear the names of the early conservationists.

Previous exhibition venues and events were:
Hannover (2011), Netzwerktagung "Frauen in der Geschichte der Gartenkultur" (Network Conference "Women in the History of Garden Culture)
Bonn - Bad Godesberg (2008), Bundesamt für Naturschutz (Federal Agency for Nature Conservation)
Potsdam (2003), Haus der Natur (HDN) (House of Nature)
Hannover (2002), Stadthalle, 26. Deutscher Naturschutztag (26th German Nature Conservation Day)
Kassel (2001), Universität, 28. Kongress "Frauen in Naturwissenschaft und Technik" (28th Congress "Women in Science and Technology")
Kassel (2001), Archiv der Deutschen Frauenbewegung (Archive of the German Women's Movement)
Bielefeld (1999), Universität (University)
Rodgau (1999), Rathaus (City Hall)
Kassel (1998), Universität  (University)
Hamburg (1998), Rathaus  (City Hall)
Hannover (1997), Universität, "50 Jahre Lehre und Forschung in Herrenhausen" (University, "50 Years of Teaching and Research in Herrenhausen")

The touring exhibition "Women in the beginnings of nature conservation - searching for traces 1900-1933" was instrumental in the at the time called Department of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Development, now the landscape section, being awarded the first-ever prize for active promotion of women by the University of Hanover on 16 May 2001.

In the same year, five streets in Hannover-Wettbergen were named after the early women conservationists. 

The exhibition is packed in an easily transportable DinA0 folder and can be borrowed for a fee.

Contact person: info@umwelt.uni-hannover.de