Gyrithe Lemche

Ellen Gyrithe Lemche née Frisch (1866–1945) was a Danish writer, women's rights campaigner and local historian. She is remembered in particular for the important part she played in the activities of the Danish Women's Society (Dansk Kvindesamfund), especially around 1915 when the Danish Constitution was amended to include women's suffrage. She was a co-founder of Lyngby-Tårbæk Local Historic Society (Historisk-Topografisk Selskab for Lyngby-Tårbæk) in 1927.

Early life and family Born in Copenhagen on 17 April 1866, Ellen Gyrithe Frisch was the daughter of the headmaster Hartvig Frisch (1833–90) and Elisabeth Alexandra Mourier (1835–92). On 19 July 1893, she married the physician Johan Henrich Lemche (1863–1962).

Ellen Gyrithe spent her early years in Copenhagen's Store Kongensgade before moving with her family to Lyngby where her maternal grandparents lived. Together with her three siblings, she was first educated at home, then attended N. Zahle's School. On matriculating, she began to study German at the University of Copenhagen but soon gave up, discouraged by the males dominated environment she experienced. Instead she became a teacher at her father's school until her marriage in 1893. Despite giving birth to three children, one of whom died when two years old, she devoted herself to writing, leaving her children to the care of her husband and the household staff.

Awards and honours Among the many awards she received for her work are the Tagea Brandt Travel Scholarship (1927) and the Ingenio et Arti medal (1934).