Biographical Notes on Margarete Gütschow (1871–1951) and the Role of Early Twentieth-Century Women Archaeologists

Abstract

Margarete Gutschow is not well-known in the history of archaeology, but she should be included among the first women who played a prominent role in the development of the discipline. Gutschow’s life story, found partly within her correspondence, has allowed us to understand the personality and the role of this scholar as part of the German Archaeological Institute in Rome, where she worked for many years, most notably as an assistant of Gerhart Rodenwaldt. Gutschow’s case is quite unique for her time, she was born in 1871 and she could only enter university at a more mature age than men in her field. The social situation in Germany, her family expectations, and her late education, are very interesting angles by which we can investigate Gutschow’s choices, which led her to look for a position in a predominantly-male scientific field. She led a successful career, and had received the title “Ordinary Member of German Archaeological Institute” by 1935.