Tales from the Mennonite Heritage Archives – Episode 17
Katharina and Abraham Thiessen pose at the shortlived Manitou location of T.C. Bernie's photography studio. The studio was open from 1894-1895. MHA 579-005.
Katharina Thiessen was a Mennonite midwife whose practice started in Ukraine, and continued in the United States and eventually southern Manitoba, where she settled with her family in 1885. As a midwife and lay doctor, she held a role in the Mennonite community that was not always understood by the official medical establishment. In this episode, host Dan Dyck explores the medical career of Katharina Thiessen and the role that women like her had in the Mennonite community, as well as the challenges to legitimacy as medical professionals that they faced from the wider society.
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Podcast Series: Tales from the Mennonite Heritage Archives
Episode 17: Katharina Thiessen, Mennonite Midwife
Date: February 23, 2025
Host: Dan Dyck
Published by The Mennonite Heritage Archives
Now available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify