Birgitte Esmark

Birgitte Elise Esmark (13 October 1841 – 2 April 1897) was a Norwegian malacologist and is considered the first Norwegian female zoologist. She was the first woman to receive financial support for her scientific work from the Kongelige Frederiks Universitet in 1879, five years before it was open to women. Esmark's contributions as a malacologist advanced the knowledge of land and freshwater mollusks in Norway, both modern and fossil, with a particular focus on mollusks found in the Arctic regions.

Personal life Esmark was born in Brevik, a town located approximately 100 miles south of Oslo on the west side of the Oslo Fjord. Her father, Hans Morten Thrane Esmark (1801–1882), was a parish minister, mineralogist, and palaeontologist, and her mother Ulrike Benedicte Wiborg (1810–1898).

Between 1880 and 1887, Esmark published six papers. Esmark distinguished herself through meticulous research on mollusks and their habitats. Notably, she made significant efforts to record the soil type for each of her mollusk findings, an uncommon practice during her time. Three years later, she established the Norwegian Women's Temperance League, assuming the role of secretary for both organisations. As the issue of prohibition gained national prominence in 1893, Esmark embarked on a countrywide lecture tour to promote temperance and morality, also recruiting members for the league.

Death Birgithe Esmark died of cancer in Kristiania on 2 April 1897, at the age of 55. In 1908, a memorial statue was erected at her grave in Vor Freslers cemetery, Kristiania, honoring her contributions to science and philanthropy.