Susanna Rubinstein (20 September 1847 – 29 March 1914) was an Austrian

psychologist A psychologist is a professional who practices psychology and studies mental states, perceptual, cognitive, emotional, and social processes and behavior. Their work often involves the experimentation, observation, and explanation, interpretatio ...

and the first woman to earn a doctorate from the

University of Bern The University of Bern (, , ) is a public university, public research university in the Switzerland, Swiss capital of Bern. It was founded in 1834. It is regulated and financed by the canton of Bern. It is a comprehensive university offering a br ...

in Switzerland.

Biography

Rubinstein was born in Czernowitz (then part of

Austrian Empire The Austrian Empire, officially known as the Empire of Austria, was a Multinational state, multinational European Great Powers, great power from 1804 to 1867, created by proclamation out of the Habsburg monarchy, realms of the Habsburgs. Duri ...

, now Chernivtsi, Ukraine) on 20 September 1847 into the

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

family of the banker and parliamentarian Isak Rubinstein (c. 1804–1878). Her mother died when she was young. She and her three siblings were greatly encouraged to pursue their education, even though this was a time when girls were often denied that opportunity. (A high school for girls was eventually opened in Czernowitz in 1898 and a girls' grammar school was established only during the years just before the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

.) At first, her father arranged for Rubinstein to take private lessons but, when it came time to finish high school, she was unable to take the necessary examinations from tutors, so she did so before an academic committee from a boys' high school. Rubinstein went on to study psychology and German literature at the University of Prague, in the spring of 1870, and then at

Leipzig University Leipzig University (), in Leipzig in Saxony, Germany, is one of the world's oldest universities and the second-oldest university (by consecutive years of existence) in Germany. The university was founded on 2 December 1409 by Frederick I, Electo ...

three years later. After being denied admission to the doctoral program in

Basel, Switzerland Basel ( ; ), also known as Basle ( ), ; ; ; . is a city in northwestern Switzerland on the river Rhine (at the transition from the High to the Upper Rhine). Basel is Switzerland's third-most-populous city (after Zurich and Geneva), with ...

, she enrolled at the University of Bern and there gained her Ph.D. in 1874 in psychology and German literature. By doing so, she became the first woman to receive a doctorate in Bern. Her thesis was "''Uber die sensoriellen und sensitiven Sinne''" ("''About the sensory and sensitive senses''"). With the completion of her doctorate, Rubinstein spent a year in Germany visiting Leipzig, Heidelberg and Munich. Her 1878 work "''Psychologisch-Asthetische Essays''" ("Psychological-Aesthetic Essays") has been described as "a major contribution to the study of human emotions". It was reprinted in 2012 (Nabu Press, ). Susanna Rubinstein died 29 March 1914 in

Würzburg Würzburg (; Main-Franconian: ) is, after Nuremberg and Fürth, the Franconia#Towns and cities, third-largest city in Franconia located in the north of Bavaria. Würzburg is the administrative seat of the Regierungsbezirk Lower Franconia. It sp ...

, Germany.

Selected publications

*''Psychologisch-ästhetische Essays'' (Heidelberg, 1878) *''Aus der Innerwelt. Psychologische Studien'' (Leipzig, 1888) *''Ein individualistischer Pessimist. Beitrag zur Würdigung Philipp Mainländers.'' (Leipzig, 1894) *''Eine Trias von Willensmetaphysikern. Populär-philosophische Essays.'' (Leipzig, 1896) *''Schiller-Probleme.'' (Leipzig, 1908) *''Lexikalischer Schiller-Kommentar '' (Berlin, 1913)

References

External links

Portrait
from the collections of New York Public Library {{DEFAULTSORT:Rubinstein, Susanna 1847 births 1914 deaths Austrian women psychologists Austrian psychologists Charles University alumni Jewish women writers Austrian people of Jewish descent University of Bern alumni Psychologists from Austria-Hungary