Nadezhda Suslova in Zurich

26 July 2021

Nadezhda Suslova (1843-1918) was the first woman to be allowed to study at a university in Switzerland. She was born in Russia. She decided in 1866 to go to Switzerland to study.  She studied in Zurich because, at that time, it was the most liberal city in Europe.

After studying medicine, she married an ophthalmologist. They moved to Russia. She was the first woman in Russia to set up a practice for gynaecology and paediatrics. Later, she founded a free school for village children, a gymnasium and a hospital.

(Source : Erica Stiftung, Nebiko)