Maria Christina Bruhn

Maria Christina Bruhn (1732-1802), was a Swedish inventor, likely to be the first patented female inventor of her country.

In 1771, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences offered a reward for any one who would be able to produce a suitable package for gunpowder for the army. Bruhn had taken over a tapestry and wallpaper manufactury from her mother, and during her work manufacturing paint and preparing paper, she had been inpsired to the idea which she presented to the academy 2 March 1774. The men of the Academy expressed deep scepticism against the invention of a woman, and it took twelve years of testing, during which she had to fight among others the attempts of Anrep, General of the Artillery, to take credit for her invention, before the ministry of war aproved it, recongised her as its inventor and gave her the reward in 1786. It was long used within the Swedish army.

Sea also

• Eva Ekeblad
• Elsa Beata Bunge
• Anna Åkerhjelm

References

• Isa Edholm (2001). Kvinnohistoria (Women history). Falun: Alfabeta Bokförlag AB, Stockholm. ISBN 91 501 0054 8.
• Nationalencyklopedin (The national encyclopedia)
• Nils Erik Magnus Lönnroth: "Mamsell Bruhn : en svensk uppfinnare i artilleriteknik" (Mamsell Bruhn : a Swedish inventor in artillery tecnique) (1991)