The Greens' plans for a name in Aurich failed: the central clinic remains!

The Greens' plans for a name in Aurich failed: the central clinic remains!

The name remains, that was the tenor in the district council of the Aurich district yesterday. The Green Party's proposal to rename the “East Frisian Sea Central Clinic” to the “Herminen Hospital” was rejected. This decision sparked discussions because the new name was intended to allude to the first German gynecologist and women's rights activist Hermine Heusler-Edenhuizen. However, the supervisory board decided on the previous name without any vote in the political sphere or involvement of the population. District Administrator Olaf Meinen explained that the term “central clinic” has already been established and positively received by the population. This decision not only met with approval, but also criticism, especially from the Greens.

Gila Altmann, a district politician for the Green Party, expressed concern about the negative impact the clinic construction could have on bird life. She criticized the rejection of the name proposal as a “bad omen”. When voting for the renaming, only six district politicians were willing to vote for Hermine Heusler-Edenhuizen's proposal. Everyone else seemed to value the tried-and-tested name more.

A remarkable pioneer

Hermine Heusler-Edenhuizen, born on March 16, 1872 in Pewsum, was a true pioneer of her time. She was the first officially recognized and established female gynecologist in Germany and was passionately committed to women's rights. After a serious illness, she decided to get her high school diploma and eventually studied medicine in Zurich, Halle and Bonn, where she passed her exams in 1903.

From 1911 she worked as a gynecologist in Berlin, founded a polyclinic for women and successfully fought against the dreaded puerperal fever. In addition to her medical career, Heusler-Edenhuizen also campaigned for the abolition of abortion paragraph 218 and was the first chairwoman of the “Association of German Doctors”. Her life's work is not only an example for women in medicine, but also for social change and emancipation.

Honors and commemorations

To commemorate her important role in the history of women's medicine, memorial plaques were erected at the birthplace and family center in Pewsum. In 2012, the FrauenORT Hermine Heusler-Edenhuizen was opened in Krummhörn to keep her legacy alive. In addition, the Hermine Heusler-Edenhuizen Prize was introduced in 2010, which honors outstanding journalistic work in the field of gynecology and obstetrics.

Both the district council's rejection of the name proposal and Hermine Heusler-Edenhuizen's life's work shed light on the challenges and achievements of women in medicine and society. Local awareness of the past and appreciation of strong women could potentially spark change that will be meaningful for future generations.

The debate over the name of the clinic will certainly not die down any time soon. A renaming would not only have meant honoring Heusler-Edenhuizen, but would also have sent a strong signal for gender equality in today's world. Perhaps it is time for the East Frisia region to once again jump over its own shadow and give pioneers like Hermine Heusler-Edenhuizen the recognition they deserve.

NWZonline reports, Women's places in Lower Saxony reported, Wikipedia reports.