'Jag brygger sulfat, lagar ej mat*', Vera Sandberg wrote in a poem about her studies at Chalmers, where she was the only woman among some 500 men. Despite being qualified, she had to take a special entrance exam in maths to get a place in 1914.
In 1917, Vera Helfrid Victoria Sandberg became Sweden's first female engineer.
The memory of Sweden's first female graduate engineer is kept alive at Chalmers University of Technology, where she has a statue and has lent her name to an avenue, a café, a hot air balloon, a spex and the Vera podcast. Hear the story of her life and of being a female student in the early 20th century, including through her granddaughter Gunilla Resare who has written a book about her grandmother.
This episode is broadcast in Swedish. Follow us and listen on PodBean
In this episode, this music is played:
Warm Memories - Emotional Inspiring Piano by Keys of Moon | soundcloud.com/keysofmoon
Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
About Verapodden
In Chalmers Verapodd you will hear personal conversations with researchers, students, teachers and alumni. What are their experiences, driving forces and visions? What becomes of the knowledge from Chalmers?
Project manager: Cecilia Hillman & Maria Saline, Genie
Original music by Stefan Karlsson
Programme manager, technology & editing: Malin Avenius
Producer: Anne-Christine Nordin.
Vera Sandberg became Sweden's first female engineer in 1917. She studied as the only woman among 500 men. Today, Chalmers University of Technology is home to 10 500 students and a third of them are women.
* Jag brygger sulfat, lager ej mat:
I brew sulphate, do not cook food
