Cathinka Guldberg

Who was Cathinka Guldberg?

Cathinka Augusta Guldberg was a Norwegian nurse, the first in that country.

Guldberg was born in the city of Christiania, now Oslo, Norway. Her father was a priest and her mothers’ cousin was the famous Marcus Thrane, leader of the first Norwegian labour union. When her mother died in 1854, Cathinka took on responsibility for her brothers and sister. She became interested in helping people, especially the sick and poor ones in her surroundings. In 1866 Cathinka and a friend went to Kaiserswerth in Germany to educate themselves into Deaconesses. Two years later she returned to Norway and became the country’s first nurse.

At the age of 28 she established “Diakonissehuset Christiania” and started educating deaconesses. She was honoured with St. Olav at the age of 75. She died in 1919.