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Baroness Ursula Signe Sophie Dahlerup, née Holbech (5 October 1840,
/ref> After becoming a widow, she found herself free to pursue her interests, and took courses at a drawing school for women. Rather than create artwork, however, she designed an
Of more importance, ultimately, was her observation that immigrants who used down mattresses often became ill; apparently from the cotton padding. After some experimentation, she created a padding that could be washed and disinfected. She was awarded a patent for it, established a mattress factory in 1896, and chose the brand name "Hygieta". It proved to be a success, and she was able to sign contracts with several hospitals. By 1902, she had acquired sufficient funds to open her own home for impoverished women. By 1914, she had been awarded six more patents, including one for a temporary reed-based mattress.
Her original mattress was in production until 1965. Some disorganized writings she had left behind were edited and published as her memoirs in 1989; by her great-grandchildren
Entry on Dahlerup
@ Nordic Women's Literature __NOTOC__ {{DEFAULTSORT:Dahlerup, Ursula 1840 births 1925 deaths 19th-century Danish businesspeople 19th-century Danish businesswomen 19th-century Danish inventors 19th-century Danish memoirists 19th-century Danish women writers 19th-century women inventors 20th-century women inventors Businesspeople from Copenhagen Danish baronesses Danish women memoirists
Copenhagen
Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...
– 25 September 1925, Charlottenlund
Charlottenlund is a suburban area on the coast north of Copenhagen, Denmark. It is the administrative seat of Gentofte Municipality. Bordered to the east by the Øresund, to the South by Hellerup and to the north by Klampenborg, it is one of the ...
) was a Danish entrepreneur, known for "Baroness Dahlerup's Patent Mattress".
Life and work
She was born to the painter, Niels Peter Holbech, and his wife, Caroline Louise Amalie Gamborg, daughter of the philosopher . From an early age, she wanted to pursue a career in music or art, but her father, who was very traditional, insisted that she become a wife and mother. In 1869, she married Baron Hans Joost Vilhelm Dahlerup, a lawyer at the Ministry of Finance. They had three children. Their first-born son, Hans, an aspiring sculptor, committed suicide in Paris at the age of twenty.Dansk Kvindebiografisk Leksikon/ref> After becoming a widow, she found herself free to pursue her interests, and took courses at a drawing school for women. Rather than create artwork, however, she designed an
incinerating toilet
An incinerating toilet is a type of dry toilet that burns human feces instead of flushing them away with water, as does a flush toilet. The thermal energy used to incinerate the waste can be derived from electricity, fuel, oil, or liquified pet ...
that was exhibited at the . By 1893, she was participating in the World's Columbian Exposition
The World's Columbian Exposition, also known as the Chicago World's Fair, was a world's fair held in Chicago from May 5 to October 31, 1893, to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the New World in 1492. The ...
in Chicago, where she recreated an old Danish farmhouse and won several awards. Inspired by the charitable homes for women and children that she saw there, she campaigned for similar homes when she returned to Denmark, but was met with indifference.
Of more importance, ultimately, was her observation that immigrants who used down mattresses often became ill; apparently from the cotton padding. After some experimentation, she created a padding that could be washed and disinfected. She was awarded a patent for it, established a mattress factory in 1896, and chose the brand name "Hygieta". It proved to be a success, and she was able to sign contracts with several hospitals. By 1902, she had acquired sufficient funds to open her own home for impoverished women. By 1914, she had been awarded six more patents, including one for a temporary reed-based mattress.
Her original mattress was in production until 1965. Some disorganized writings she had left behind were edited and published as her memoirs in 1989; by her great-grandchildren Ulla
Ulla is a given name. It is short for Ursula (given name), Ursula in German-speaking countries and Ulrika/Ulrikke in Scandinavian countries. As of 31 December 2011, there were 61,043 females named Ulla in Sweden, with the name being most popular ...
and Bent.
References
Further reading
* Ulla Dahlerup and Bent Dahlerup (eds.), ''Ursula Dahlerup - Baronessesns Erindringer 1840-1925'' (memoirs), Gyldendals Forlag, 1989, * Bodil Olesen (wd.): ''From the Deep to the Flying Saucer: Danish Female Inventors Through 100 Years'', Danish Technological Institute, 1996,External links
Entry on Dahlerup
@ Nordic Women's Literature __NOTOC__ {{DEFAULTSORT:Dahlerup, Ursula 1840 births 1925 deaths 19th-century Danish businesspeople 19th-century Danish businesswomen 19th-century Danish inventors 19th-century Danish memoirists 19th-century Danish women writers 19th-century women inventors 20th-century women inventors Businesspeople from Copenhagen Danish baronesses Danish women memoirists