Pioneers of Psychology: New exhibition at Pleicherwall

It is rare for exhibitions at the University of Würzburg to be devoted exclusively to a group that is frequently underestimated and overlooked, not only in academia: women. The new exhibition ‘Self-MINDED – Female Pioneers of Psychology’ by the Centre for the History of Psychology, presented in English, focuses exclusively on female academics who have played a decisive role in shaping psychology from its very beginnings.

The exhibition profiles more than 30 female psychologists from German-speaking countries and highlights their contributions to the development of psychology in the first half of the 20th century. The lives, research and academic achievements of these female psychologists are brought to life through photographs, original publications, documents, film footage and historical artefacts.

Academic achievements and discrimination

The tour of the exhibition follows the often eventful biographies of these pioneering women, with surprising twists and sharp turns. It tells of scientific curiosity and academic achievements, but also of obstacles and discrimination.

Many of the women portrayed had to fight against prejudice simply because they were women. Others were forced to emigrate due to persecution by the Nazi regime or lost their academic posts.

Nevertheless, they developed ideas that continue to shape our understanding of human nature to this day. Many of their insights are now an integral part of psychological knowledge – even if the names of the women who pioneered them have often been forgotten.

Bringing the history of science to life

At the opening on 12 June 2026, the Centre’s director, Professor Armin Stock, spoke of the dedication with which he and his staff had worked on the exhibition over the past few months.

Countless hours of academic research, craftsmanship, in-house technical developments and meticulous design work have gone into its conception and realisation: “The result is an exhibition that brings the history of science to life in an innovative and personal way,” said the professor.

Female psychologists have their say in audio recordings

“Self-MINDED” invites visitors to question familiar perspectives on the history of psychology and to learn about the achievements of those women without whom the discipline would not be the same today.

Audio guides accompany the exhibition tour: using a smartphone to scan QR codes, visitors can hear the pioneers speak for themselves. They talk about their research, their successes and the challenges they faced. This allows visitors to the exhibition to get to know the pioneers of psychology in depth – in a personal, compelling and often surprising way.

The new exhibition was sponsored by Hogrefe-Verlag Göttingen and the Werner and Rosemarie Traxel Foundation.

Visitor information

“Self-MINDED – Female Pioneers of Psychology”
Centre for the History of Psychology at the University of
Pleicherwall 1, 97070 Würzburg

15 June 2026 until mid-June 2028 (provisionally)
Visits are possible from Monday to Friday by appointment only:

Email: zgp@uni-wuerzburg.de
Telephone: +49 931 31-88683 (Monday to Friday between 08:30 and 12:00)

Admission is free. The Centre for the History of Psychology welcomes donations to support its historical research.

To access the audio information, please bring a smartphone and your own headphones.

Exhibition catalogue

The exhibition is largely based on the book"Pioneering Women in Psychology: The Challenging Careers of German-speaking Female Scientists in the Early 20th Century" by Wolfgang Schneider and Armin Stock, which also serves as the exhibition catalogue.