1897: Nostrification and First Doctorate

The nostrification, that is Austria officially recognising degrees achieved in other countries, has been possible for a while for men, for women only from 1896 onwards. Gabriele Possanner von Ehrenthal is the first woman to take advantage of this possibility. She received her doctorate in Medicine in Switzerland in 1894 already. Contrary to men, she has to take all 21 doctoral exams again for her title to be recognised, and has to provide flawless moral references. After years of fighting for the nostrification, she finally becomes Austria’s first female medical doctor in 1897.