Malvina Mehrn | |
|---|---|
.png) Mehrn in 1914 | |
| Born | Malvina Brix (1862-03-22)22 March 1862 |
| Died | 13 December 1960(1960-12-13) (aged 98) Copenhagen, Denmark |
| Occupation(s) | Animal rights andwelfare activist |
| Years active | 1897–1940s |
| Known for | Chairpersonship of Svalen; advocacy for theDanish Animal Protection Act |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
Malvina Mehrn (née Brix; 22 March 1862 – 13 December 1960) was a Danishanimal rights andwelfare activist. As chairperson of the organisation Svalen from 1906 to 1920, she helped expand its focus from bird protection to broader animal welfare issues and worked to strengthen cooperation between humane and women's movements. Mehrn advocated for legal protection of animals, contributed to the passage of theDanish Animal Protection Act of 1916, and organised the 1911 International Animal Protection Congress in Copenhagen.
Malvina Brix was born on 22 March 1862 inFoulum,Viborg, to parish priest Jens Bøgild Brix (1815–1877) and Anne Marie Nørschau (1821–1904). She was one of 14 children. The family faced financial difficulties, and the children were raised in modest circumstances.[1]
On 16 November 1886, she married Lauritz Johan Thorvald Sørensen Mehrn (1846–1923), who had aspired to become an artist but, under pressure from his father, entered the army instead. The couple had two daughters, Laura (born 1888) and Anne Marie (born 1889). In 1906, the family moved from Viborg toCopenhagen.[1]
Mehrn joined the bird protection organisation Svalen shortly after its founding in 1897, serving as its secretary and treasurer. Before her death in 1905, the organisation's founder, Camilla Eegholm, nominated Mehrn as her successor, believing that her decisiveness, gentleness, and sense of duty would benefit the society.[1] Mehrn was officially elected chairperson on 6 February 1906. Her husband also joined Svalen's board as treasurer and designed the organisation's emblem.[2]
As leader of Svalen, Mehrn gradually broadened its focus from bird protection to generalanimal welfare. She viewed the emancipation of animals as comparable to that of enslaved people and argued that animals, as voicelesssentient beings, required legal protection throughestablished rights. To advance this aim, she focused on improving legislation and promoting a coordinated international approach to animal protection.[1]
At the 1909 International Animal Protection Congress inLondon, Mehrn proposed that the next meeting be held in Copenhagen.[3] The congress took place from 1 to 5 August 1911 at theHotel d'Angleterre in Copenhagen and was the largest event ever organised by Svalen. It focused on issues such ashumane slaughter and theabolition of vivisection.[2]
Mehrn sought the support ofwomen's rights movements for her animal welfare initiatives. In 1915, Svalen was admitted to theWomen's Council in Denmark, and Mehrn encouraged its members to use their newly acquired voting rights to advance animal protection causes. The following year, in 1916, theDanish Animal Protection Act was adopted, partly as a result of Svalen's campaigning.[1] Svalen and Mehrn also opposed thedocking of horses' tails and promoted bird protection among young people.[3]
During Mehrn's tenure as chairperson of Svalen,Christian X, then Crown Prince of Denmark, served as the organisation's protector.Alexandra of Denmark, Queen of the United Kingdom, was also an honorary member.[3] Mehrn was an honorary member of theAnimal Defence and Anti-Vivisection Society.[4]
Mehrn resigned as chairperson of Svalen in 1920, a year after her husband retired from his role as treasurer, and was succeeded by August Dedenroth Berg.[2] Despite stepping down, she continued humane work for animals well into old age.[5]
After her husband's death in 1923, Mehrn lived with her two daughters. She died in Copenhagen on 13 December 1960, aged 98.[1]
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