Frauen in der deutschsprachigen Gerichts‑/Rechtsmedizin: Von Elisabeth Nau (1900–1975) bis heute

The faculty of forensic/legal medicine looks back on a history rich in tradition. As in all medical faculties, the history of women in the field began much later than the history of male scientists: women were not allowed to study medicine in its entirety, including the right to a doctorate until 1908 and they were not allowed to habilitate until 1920. Currently, there are more female doctors than male doctors working in legal medicine but only 10 out of 40 university and public institutes in Germany, Austria and Switzerland are headed by women. Biographical examples are used to illustrate the path of women in forensic/legal medicine. In addition to the known career obstacles that women face in medicine, possible strategies are discussed that could also enable gender equality at the management level of forensic medicine.