Marie Simon

Marie Simon (; (Janašec); 26 August 1824 – 20 February 1877) was a Sorbian nurse who co-founded the , a precursor to the German Red Cross, following her experience as battlefield nurse during the Austro-Prussian War. She later became one of the principal German nurses of the Franco-Prussian War, organizing the nursing staff and food distribution at the military hospital in Nancy. Simon later established several medical facilities in Dresden and devoted the rest of her life to the training of new nurses. She was highly regarded in Germany, with a contemporary physician referring to her as the "Saxon Florence Nightingale".

Biography Marie Jannasch was born on 26 August 1824 in the predominately Sorbian village of in the Kingdom of Saxony. Born out-of-wedlock to Anna Jannasch, her father was allegedly a shepherd from Göda named Johann Haucke. She was primarily raised by her maternal grandfather Johann Jannasch, a local innkeeper, and was Protestant. In addition to tending to wounded soldiers, she "organized the deployment of nursing staff" and oversaw the distribution of food at the hospitals. In total, she served from 5 August 1870 to 11 March 1871. Simon was highly regarded for her actions during the war, and was awarded the Order of Sidonia from Saxony; the Order of Franz Joseph from Austria; and the Cross of Merit for Women and Girls from Prussia.

Following the war, Simon "devoted herself intensively to the training of nursing staff". Largely at her own expense, she established a sanatorium for disabled soldierswhich was also used as a training facility for nurses – in Loschwitz in 1872, as well as a polyclinic in . In addition, she led a three-year training program for nurses, the last six months of which was under the instruction of doctors at the University Hospital Leipzig. Simon died at her sanatorium in Loschwitz on 20 February 1877, aged 52. Her funeral was held two days later with a large attendance, and she was buried in Dresden's . Her grave, which was destroyed by Allied bombing during World War II, was restored in May 2023 with financial support from the German Red Cross and the local government.

The German Red Cross considers Simon to be "a pioneer of modern nursing" who played a key role in establishing the organization in Saxony, while contemporary physician eulogized her as the "Saxon Florence Nightingale". In 1907, a street in Dresden was named after her. Publicist is writing a biography about Simon which will be published in 2024.

Honors and awards Simon was the recipient of the following honors and awards: Order of Franz Joseph Cross of Merit for Women and Girls (1871) Order of Sidonia (1871) Order of Olga