Born: 13 December 1830, Denmark
Died: 17 June 1872
Country most active: Denmark
Also known as: NA
The following is excerpted from “400 Outstanding Women of the World and the Costumology of Their Time” by Minna Moscherosch Schmidt, published in 1933.
She was born of a very clever and intelligent Danish family. The father was an officer of the army and author of various articles about military and historical subjects. An older sister also became known as a writer and social worker. She joined a family in the country as a teacher when she was eighteen, and a short time after, she wrote a book Clara Raphael, twelve letters published by J. L. Heiberg. This book caused the so called “Clara Raphael fight” in 1850, between many of the most intelligent and famous people women. The book was written to take part in the discussion of men’s and women’s relation to the important political and national situation. The new constitution had given the vote to men only, and the country, according to the belief of many clever women, seemed to need the help of both sexes at a time when spiritual and political revolution was prevailing in many European countries. Her desire was that every woman have the right to develop according to her ideals.
She said: “As long as we are prevented from getting an independent and personal development, and as long as we are in the power of prejudice we cannot answer to (or come up to) our destination.” The fight influenced women in Sweden and Norway; Fredericka Bremer wrote her book Hertha, and Camilla Collett and The Daughters of the Sheriff but they had no decisive result in Denmark. In a short time Miss Fibiger became a well known personality in the Copenhagen literary circles but when she wished to be the speaker at a national feast, her family did everything to avoid this “scandal.” For some years she even suffered from hunger because of her revolutionary ideas. She had to make a living, which she tried to do by sewing, by decorating china, and by private teaching; her sole thought was to make herself independent in the community. At last she was employed in state service as the first woman telegrapher. Now she, again, began to write, but her health was broken owing to all that she had suffered, and she died when only forty-one years of age. Mathilde Fibiger was inspired by a burning love for her country; in her biography we find a striving and fighting character, who, with all her might, seeks to obtain clearness of mind with regard to the important problems of life.