Name Change
Above is a painting of Maria M. Winkelmann
Kirch's husband,
Gottfried Kirch.
During the time when she lived with the Arnold family, she met one of the leading German astronomers at the time, Gottfried Kirch, born in Guben on December 18th, 1639. He was the son of a tailor and had studied at Jena, then he studied with Johannes Hevelius from Gdansk. In 1647, Hevelius produced one of the first detailed maps of the moon's surface, Selenographia. Hevelius's wife Elisabetha helped him with making observations in astronomy, and this helped Gottfried accept that women could make great contributuons to astronomy. Kirch then instructed his three sisters in astronomy and they became his assistants.
Maria and Gottfried fell in love, but Maria's uncle disapproved of marriage because he wanted her to marry a Lutheran minister. Maria was torn, and marriage without her uncle's blessing was not going to happen. Eventually he gave in and Maria and Gottfried got married in 1692. Maria's uncle might have also had a problem with the pair's age difference. Maria was twenty-two, but Gottfried was fifty-two. Maria's name changed from Maria M. Winkelmann to Maria M. Winkelmann Kirch. Gottfried, who had trained his three sisters in astronomy, was now able to work with his wife, who was already trained in astronomy.
Maria and Gottfried fell in love, but Maria's uncle disapproved of marriage because he wanted her to marry a Lutheran minister. Maria was torn, and marriage without her uncle's blessing was not going to happen. Eventually he gave in and Maria and Gottfried got married in 1692. Maria's uncle might have also had a problem with the pair's age difference. Maria was twenty-two, but Gottfried was fifty-two. Maria's name changed from Maria M. Winkelmann to Maria M. Winkelmann Kirch. Gottfried, who had trained his three sisters in astronomy, was now able to work with his wife, who was already trained in astronomy.