Maria Christina Bruhn

Maria Christina Bruhn (1732 – 21 October 1808) was a Swedish chemist and inventor, likely to be the first patented female inventor of her country. She created a gunpowder packaging that would later be used in the Swedish army for several generations.

Early life Bruhn was the eldest of three daughters of the book printer Johan Bruhn (died 1742). She took over a tapestry and wallpaper manufacture after the death of her widowed mother Inga Christina in 1751, who was granted a license from the Swedish Board of Trade that allowed her to create the tapestry manufacturing business Maria would take over. The town surveyor Hieronymus von der Burg, one of the botanist Carl von Linné’s apprentices, and Maria's sister Ingrid had formed a relationship that resulted in a pregnancy followed by marriage. This relationship gave Maria the opportunity to create a network with some of the elites of Stockholm. Included in this network of elites were Nils Lindblom, professor of mathematics for the artillery, and Pehr Lehnberg. He had stolen Maria's design and was claiming it as his own. Captain Lindfelt recognized the design as Maria's and protested this to the military board. Maria also became aware of this and wrote to the War Office in 1783, claiming her rightful ownership to her design and the prize money.

An investigation began. Many of those involved began to feign ignorance, because they didn't want to be known as the people who ruined the reputations of the important figures of that time. This however did not stop Maria, who continued to fight for her design through letters, claims, and counterclaims. Finally in August 1786, the military board declared that Maria's invention was the best and most affordable, and therefore she had won the competition.

Awards On May 08, 1787, Maria was awarded half of the prize money, which was 166 riksdaler and 32 shillings in coins out of the total 333 riksdaler and 16 shillings. She is also considered to be the first patented female inventor of her country.

Death After receiving her prize money, Maria closed her wallpaper workshop and returned to her private life, which she lived on the prize money she had received.

She died on October 20, 1808, at the age of 77.