Born: 4 September 1841, Belgium
Died: 23 January 1914
Country most active: Belgium
Also known as: Barbe-Henriette Dieudonnée Dachsbeck
Educator and feminist was a key figure in the development of women’s education in Belgium at the end of the 1800s, working closely with Isabelle Gatti de Gamond. In 1864, while still in her early 20s, she launched Cours d’Éducation pour jeunes filles, the first systematic programs for women’s secondary education. Financially supported by the city council, it was unusual at the time for being completely independent of the Catholic Church, offering the first organized secular education for Belgian women. Despite opposition from the church, the school was a success and in 1876, Dachsbeck co-founded a second institution for girls in Brussels, later renamed Lycée Dachsbeck in her honor. She also began a program to prepare girls for the Central Jury examination, a pre-requisite for university.