Narratives of Female Physicists and Mathematicians in (West)German Textbooks

Talk by Colleen Seidel

Textbooks are an important source for understanding the image that a society holds, as they reflect both the prevailing societal norms and the knowledge of the time. They serve as mirrors of the culture and intellectual climate, revealing how certain groups, including women, are portrayed and understood in the context of scientific disciplines. In my study of (West) German physics textbooks from around 1960 to 2020, I analysed the portrayal of female physicists and mathematicians. In addition to Marie Curie, 16 other female scientists were mentioned - including the two mathematicians Emmy Noether and Sophie Germain.

In my analysis of the sources, I will first look at the special features of textbooks and how this affects the representation of female scientists in them. This is followed by an attempt to explain from a historical perspective why there are more well-known female scientists, particularly in nuclear physics and astronomy/astrophysics, than in other areas of physics. I then discuss the changes in the narratives about Marie Curie and Lise Meitner, which are to be seen in the context of the women's movement. This is followed by my findings regarding the investigation of whether and how female and male scientists are mentioned together in the textbooks. Finally, I will analyse the role models presented in the sources, the mention of gender and the invisibilisation of female scientists in the textbooks.