Barbara Duden

About the Author

Barbara Duden is a distinguished historian and scholar whose work illuminates the hidden dimensions of women's lives in early modern Europe. With a keen eye for the interplay between medicine, gender, and society, she draws on archival sources to reveal the intimate experiences of patients under the care of eighteenth-century physicians. Her research challenges traditional narratives by centering the female body as a site of historical agency and cultural construction. Duden's interdisciplinary approach bridges history, anthropology, and feminist theory, offering profound insights into how bodily perceptions shaped social realities. A professor emerita with numerous publications, she continues to influence debates on the history of medicine and women's studies through her meticulous and empathetic scholarship.