Clara Helene Immerwahr was born in Polkendorf, Kingdom of Prussia back in 1879 to Philipp and Anna. Her mother died in 1890 from cancer, Clara moved in with her father in Breslau. She studied at the University of Breslau, in 1900 attaining her degree in chemistry. She continued her studies finally getting a PhD in Chemistry, she graduated magna cum laude.
She converted to Christianity in 1897, marrying Fritz four years later. In those days due to societal expectation that a married woman’s place was in the home, her ability to conduct research was limited. During WWI Fritz became a staunch supporter of the German military, he played an important role in the development of chemical weapons. He supervised the first successful deployment of a weapon of mass destruction in military history. Clara was an outspoken opponent of her husband’s role. She committed suicide on May 2nd, 1915 she was 44.
What you may not know about Clara is that she was the first German woman to be awarded a doctorate in chemistry.
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