Nawojka
Encyclopedia
Nawojka was a legendary medieval Polish
woman known to have dressed as a boy in order to study at the University of Krakow
in the 15th century. She later became a nun. She is considered to be the first female student and teacher in Poland.
Martin of Leibitz (d. 1464) in Vienna
in about 1429. There are several different versions of the legend.
According to one version, she was a daughter of a teacher in a church school in Gniezno
, schooled by her father, who decided to continue her studies using any means necessary. According to another version, she was a girl who inherited a fortune when orphaned. In yet another variant of the story("[this] claim is as well documented as any other") she came from Dobrzyń nad Wisłą.
In any case, dressed as a boy, she enrolled at the University of Krakow in the name of Andrzej (or Jakub; two versions of the name she used are reported). At that time it was forbidden for women to attend universities.
she was offered work as a domestic
assistant to one of the professors, but declined: at the time servants were expected to accompany their masters to the public bath.
One day, she was exposed as a woman. The versions differ here again: according to one, two soldiers wagered that the student walking by was in fact a woman, and exposed her; according to the second, she was found by a son of wójt from Gniezno who joined the school; according to the third one, she fell ill and a doctor examining her found out the truth.
When she was brought before the authorities to explain why she had disguised her gender, she simply answered: "For the will of learning". When they interrogated her fellow-students and professors they could find no one to accuse her of immoral conduct. Her record as a student was excellent. She was not convicted of any crime, but the judges did not want to acquite her entirely. According to Martin of Leibitz, she asked to be taken to a convent. She took her vows there, became a teacher and a leader of the convent school, and eventually the abbess
.
This story may or may not be true. Some historians say that if it is true, her time at the university was about 1407-1409.
, and to hold academic positions until 1906. The university's first women's dormitory
, opened in 1936, was named after Nawojka. One of the streets in Kraków is also named after her.
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
woman known to have dressed as a boy in order to study at the University of Krakow
Jagiellonian University
The Jagiellonian University was established in 1364 by Casimir III the Great in Kazimierz . It is the oldest university in Poland, the second oldest university in Central Europe and one of the oldest universities in the world....
in the 15th century. She later became a nun. She is considered to be the first female student and teacher in Poland.
Overview
The story of her was first told by the abbotAbbot
The word abbot, meaning father, is a title given to the head of a monastery in various traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not actually the head of a monastery...
Martin of Leibitz (d. 1464) in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
in about 1429. There are several different versions of the legend.
According to one version, she was a daughter of a teacher in a church school in Gniezno
Gniezno
Gniezno is a city in central-western Poland, some 50 km east of Poznań, inhabited by about 70,000 people. One of the Piasts' chief cities, it was mentioned by 10th century A.D. sources as the capital of Piast Poland however the first capital of Piast realm was most likely Giecz built around...
, schooled by her father, who decided to continue her studies using any means necessary. According to another version, she was a girl who inherited a fortune when orphaned. In yet another variant of the story("[this] claim is as well documented as any other") she came from Dobrzyń nad Wisłą.
In any case, dressed as a boy, she enrolled at the University of Krakow in the name of Andrzej (or Jakub; two versions of the name she used are reported). At that time it was forbidden for women to attend universities.
Discovery
Nawojka successfully fooled everyone and studied for two years, making herself a name as a great scholar and a serious student. According to a possibly later addition to the story,she was offered work as a domestic
Domestic worker
A domestic worker is a man, woman or child who works within the employer's household. Domestic workers perform a variety of household services for an individual or a family, from providing care for children and elderly dependents to cleaning and household maintenance, known as housekeeping...
assistant to one of the professors, but declined: at the time servants were expected to accompany their masters to the public bath.
One day, she was exposed as a woman. The versions differ here again: according to one, two soldiers wagered that the student walking by was in fact a woman, and exposed her; according to the second, she was found by a son of wójt from Gniezno who joined the school; according to the third one, she fell ill and a doctor examining her found out the truth.
When she was brought before the authorities to explain why she had disguised her gender, she simply answered: "For the will of learning". When they interrogated her fellow-students and professors they could find no one to accuse her of immoral conduct. Her record as a student was excellent. She was not convicted of any crime, but the judges did not want to acquite her entirely. According to Martin of Leibitz, she asked to be taken to a convent. She took her vows there, became a teacher and a leader of the convent school, and eventually the abbess
Abbess
An abbess is the female superior, or mother superior, of a community of nuns, often an abbey....
.
This story may or may not be true. Some historians say that if it is true, her time at the university was about 1407-1409.
Legacy
The Jagiellonian University did not allow women to study until 1897, and to hold academic positions until 1906. The university's first women's dormitory
Dormitory
A dormitory, often shortened to dorm, in the United States is a residence hall consisting of sleeping quarters or entire buildings primarily providing sleeping and residential quarters for large numbers of people, often boarding school, college or university students...
, opened in 1936, was named after Nawojka. One of the streets in Kraków is also named after her.