Maria Winkelmann Kirch was a well known astronomer and scientist. Growing up, Maria was taught by her father and her uncle because they both believed that they deserved an equal education. Her interest in astronomy was made the priority and she eventually went and learned from a self-taught astronomer, Christopher Arnold. While working for Christopher, she eventually developed a relationship with Gottfried Kirch and eventually worked with him and then they married. They had five children together and when they grew old enough, they started to train with their parents in the family business as well. When Gottfried died in 1710, Maria tried to take over his business and put it in her name, but the Royal Academy of Sciences thought that it was absurd that a women was going to try to do her husbands job so they turned her down. Eventually the business was handed over to a less experienced astronomer, Johann Heinrich Hoffmann, and then it was suggested that Maria became his assistant. After Johann died, the business was handed over to her oldest son and he continued their work with Maria and her three other daughters. She was eventually taking on too big of a role for just being an assistant, so they asked her to leave the business. After she left, she resided in Berlin until her death in 1716.
Below is a picture of Maria Winkelmann Kirch.
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