They Tried to Erase Her

For centuries, midwives stood at the centre of birth, care, and women’s knowledge of their own bodies. They delivered generations into the world and passing wisdom from woman to woman long before medicine claimed authority over childbirth.As Europe entered an age of fear and religious control, midwives were accused of crimes that mirrored their expertise, blamed for tragedy, and cast as threats to divine and medical order.This bonus episode traces how women’s authority over birth was dismantled, how fear replaced trust, and how history rewrote care as crime.CITATIONS:Historians as Demonologists: The Myth of the Midwife-witch, https://academic.oup.com/shm/article-abstract/3/1/1/1689119Healers and midwives accused of witchcraft (1563–1736), https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0260691723003209The Midwife-Witch on Trial: Historical Fact or Myth?, https://www.cjmrp.com/index.php/cjmrp/article/view/125Midwives in Health Sciences as a Sociocultural Phenomenon, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9502592/Midwives and Healers in the European Witch Trials, https://imss.org/2019/12/a-note-from-the-collections-midwives-and-healers-in-the-european-witch-trials/

Anne of Cleves is remembered as Henry VIII’s least wanted wife, mocked for her appearance and dismissed as a mistake. But this episode looks beyond the insult to uncover the woman history misunderstood.From her quiet upbringing in the Duchy of Cleves to her short and perilous marriage at the Tudor court, Anne navigated power, ego, and danger with extraordinary restraint. While other queens were destroyed, Anne survived, secured her independence, and outlived the king who rejected her.CITATIONS:The Six Wives of Henry VIII, https://archive.org/details/sixwivesofhenryv0000load_x6n7The Marrying of Anne of Cleves, https://archive.org/details/marryingofanneof0000warnMonarchy and Matrimony: The Courtships of Henry VIII, https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1468-229X.00113Letters and Papers, Foreign and Domestic, of the Reign of Henry VIII, https://archive.org/details/letterspapersfor12greauoftAnne of Cleves: Sociologically, Psychologically, and Reality, https://retrospectjournal.com/2023/11/19/anne-of-cleves-sociologically-pyschologically-and-reality/

Mileva Marić was once a rising physicist whose brilliance matched the boldest minds of her generation, but history reduced her to a footnote in Albert Einstein’s story.Today's episode uncovers her early promise, her powerful intellectual partnership with Albert, and the barriers that pushed her out of the scientific world she fought to enter.Through letters, archival findings, and modern feminist scholarship, we explore how her legacy was erased and why reclaiming her story matters more than ever.CITATIONS:The Matilda Effect in science: Awards and prizes in the US, 1990s and 2000, https://www.awis.org/wp-content/uploads/SSS-matilda-effect.pdfEinstein's Wife: The Relative Motion of 'Facts', https://www.pbs.org/ombudsman/2006/12/einsteins_wife_the_relative_motion_of_facts.htmlHandling evidence in history: the case of Einstein’s wife, https://www.martinezwritings.com/m/Maric_files/EvidenceMaric.pdfDid Mileva Marić assist Einstein in writing his 1905 path breaking papers? https://arxiv.org/pdf/1204.3551The Correspondence of Mileva Marić and Albert Einstein 1897 – 1902, https://www.academia.edu/90636979/The_Correspondence_of_Mileva_Marić_and_Albert_Einstein_1897_1902_Translation_from_Serbian_original_into_English_by_Biljana_Velašević

Fatima al-Fihri founded al-Qarawiyyin, the world’s oldest continuously operating university, yet her story was nearly erased from the historical record. This episode explores her journey, from a young migrant in Fez to a visionary builder whose dedication to knowledge reshaped generations. We follow the rise of her institution, the quiet forces that pushed her name into the margins, and the modern efforts to reclaim her legacy.Discover how one woman transformed education and why the world is finally learning her story again.CITATIONS:Fatima Al-Fihri and Al-Qarawiyyin University, https://www.worldhistory.org/article/2662/fatima-al-fihri-and-al-qarawiyyin-university/A Study on Al-Qarawiyyin University (859–990), https://www.researchgate.net/publication/352808368_THE_WORLD%27S_OLDEST_UNIVERSITY_AND_ITS_FINANCING_EXPERIENCE_A_STUDY_ON_AL-QARAWIYYIN_UNIVERSITY_859-990Fatima Al-Fihri, Founder of the First World University, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/342316228_Fatima_Al-Fihri_Founder_of_the_First_World_UniversityFātimah Al-Fihrīand Religious Fraternity in Al-Qarawiyy in University: A Case Study, irep.iium.edu.my/60386/1/Fātimah%20Al-Fihrīand%20Religious%20Fraternity%20in%20Al-Qarawiyy%20in%20University.pdfThe First University in the World: Al-Quarawiyine University, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/353485335_The_First_University_in_the_World_Al-Quarawiyine_University

Maria Anna Mozart was once celebrated across Europe as a brilliant young musician, but history came to reduce her to a footnote beside her famous brother.In this episode, we uncover the truth of her remarkable talent, the constraints placed on her as she grew older, and the silence that swallowed her legacy. Through vivid storytelling and careful historical detail, we explore how a prodigy became invisible and why her contributions matter now more than ever.Step into the world of a woman whose light never should have been dimmed.CITATIONS:Was Mozart’s sister actually the most talented musician in the family? https://www.classicfm.com/composers/mozart/sister-nannerl-most-talented/Secrets of the Dead: Mozart’s Sister, https://www.pbs.org/wnet/secrets/preview-mozarts-sister-xjwhq5/8060/Maria Anna Mozart: The Family’s First Prodigy, https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/maria-anna-mozart-the-familys-first-prodigy-1259016/Maria Anna “Nannerl” Mozart, https://classicalmusicguide.com/viewtopic.php?t=28389A Reconstruction of Nannerl Mozart's Music Book (Notenbuch), https://www.jstor.org/stable/733504

Step inside the world of Hypatia of Alexandria, a pioneering philosopher, astronomer, and mathematician whose brilliance once lit the heart of a divided city.This episode uncovers her rise as one of antiquity’s most respected thinkers, the political tensions that positioned her in the crossfire, and the long history of erasure that followed her death. Through narrative storytelling and modern reflection, we reclaim her legacy and honour the light she carried forward despite every effort to silence it.CITATIONS:Socrates Scholasticus, Ecclesiastical History, Book VII, https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/26017.htmDamascius, Life of Isidore, https://topostext.org/work/528Synesius of Cyrene, Letters, https://topostext.org/work/538Hypatia of Alexandria, https://www.perlego.com/paid/book/3104798/hypatia-of-alexandria-pdfHypatia the Highest: Analyzing the Life, Legacy, and Liberties of Hypatia of Alexandria, https://journals.uvic.ca/index.php/corvette/article/view/22477

Mary Magdalene stands at the heart of one of history’s most powerful stories, yet her true role has been buried beneath centuries of distortion.This episode uncovers the woman behind the legends, tracing her life from first-century Palestine to the moment she became the first witness to the resurrection.We explore how the early Church reshaped her identity, why her authority threatened those in power, and how modern scholarship restores her voice. Mary Magdalene’s story reveals what happens when women refuse to be erased.CITATIONS:The Resurrection of Mary Magdalene by Jane Schaberg, https://archive.org/details/resurrectionofma0000schaThe Gospel of Mary of Magdala: Jesus and the First Woman Apostle by Karen L. King, gnosis.study/library/Гнозис/Исследования/ENG/King%20K.L.%20-%20The%20Gospel%20of%20Mary%20of%20Magdala.%20Jesus%20and%20the%20first%20woman%20apostle.pdGospel of Mary, https://earlychristianwritings.com/gospelmary.htmlMary Magdalene in Art and History, https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search?q=mary+magdaleneThe Oxford Handbook of Mary Magdalene, https://academic.oup.com/edited-volume/56842

Artemisia Gentileschi rose from the margins of seventeenth-century Rome to become one of the most powerful painters of the Baroque era. Her story is one of defiance, resilience, and relentless talent in a world determined to silence her.In this episode, we explore her early struggles, the trial that tried to define her, the masterpieces that reshaped biblical storytelling, and the centuries of erasure that followed. Today, Artemisia’s voice returns with force, proving she was never meant to disappear.CITATIONS:Artemisia Gentileschi, https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/artemisia-gentileschi(Re)reading the Masterpieces by Artemisia Gentileschi, https://www.academia.edu/115344622/_Grand_Narratives_and_Personal_Dramas_Re_reading_the_Masterpieces_by_Artemisia_GentileschiArtemisia Gentileschi: Bio, Famous Works, & Legacy, https://www.thecollector.com/artemisia-gentileschi-the-me-too-painter-of-the-renaissance/A Fuller Picture of Artemisia Gentileschi, https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/10/05/a-fuller-picture-of-artemisia-gentileschiOrazio and Artemisia Gentileschi, https://archive.org/stream/OrazioandArtemisiaGentileschi/OrazioandArtemisiaGentileschi_djvu.txt

Chien Shiung Wu was one of the most extraordinary experimental physicists of the twentieth century, yet the world repeatedly pushed her brilliance into the shadows.This episode uncovers how she proved the universe breaks its own symmetry, reshaped modern physics, and was overlooked by the institutions that benefited from her genius.Listen as we revisit the moments that history distorted, examine the forces that kept her unheard, and recognize the groundbreaking work that defines her lasting legacy.CITATIONS:Experimental Test of Parity Conservation in Beta Decay, https://journals.aps.org/pr/abstract/10.1103/PhysRev.105.1413Overlooked for the Nobel: Chien-Shiung Wu, https://physicsworld.com/a/overlooked-for-the-nobel-chien-shiung-wu/How Chien‑Shiung Wu changed the laws of physics, https://www.nationalgeographic.com/premium/article/chien-shiung-wu-chinese-american-woman-physics-manhattan-projectMadame Wu and Parity Nonconservation, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/369185926_Madame_Wu_and_Parity_NonconservationChien-Shiung Wu Overlooked for Nobel Prize, https://www.aauw.org/resources/faces-of-aauw/chien-shiung-wu-overlooked-for-nobel-prize/

Eumachia was a priestess, patron, and visionary who carved her name into the heart of Pompeii at a time when women were expected to stay silent.In this episode, we explore how she rose to influence, funded one of the city’s most significant public buildings, and pushed into spaces reserved for men. We follow her journey through resilience, attempted erasure, and eventual rediscovery, uncovering what her life reveals about power, memory, and the ways women have shaped history even when the world tried to forget them.CITATIONS:Redundant Information? Repetitive Inscriptions in the Public Space of Pompeii, https://journals.openedition.org/etudesanciennes/2038Pompeii Archaeological Park site, https://pompeiisites.org/en/exhibitions-and-events/eumachia-en/Whose Forum? Imperial and Elite Patronage in the Forum of Pompeii, https://digitalcommons.macalester.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1022&context=classicsjournalWomen in Pompeii, https://pompeiicommitment.org/site/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Women_in_Pompeii.pdfBuilding of Eumachia, https://www.italyguides.it/en/campania/pompeii/building-of-eumachia

Arsinoe IV, the lesser-known sister of Cleopatra, has long been treated as a shadow beside one of history’s most iconic queens; yet her life was far more complex, courageous, and threatening to the powers around her than the surviving records suggest.In the pilot episode of They Tried to Erase Her, we uncover the truth behind a young woman who stood against Rome, challenged her sister’s alliances, and became a symbol of resistance during the Alexandrian War.From the palace intrigues that shaped her childhood to the brutal politics that led to her death at Ephesus, Arsinoe’s story reveals what can happen when a woman refuses to disappear, even when the world insists she should.CITATIONS:World History Encyclopedia – Arsinoe IV, https://www.worldhistory.org/Arsinoe_IV/UNRV – Julius Caesar, Cleopatra and the Alexandrian War, https://www.unrv.com/julius-caesar/cleopatra-alexandrian-war.phpCaesar, Alexandrian War (primary text, English translation), https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Caesar/Alexandrian_War/A*.htmThe Analytical Scientist, https://theanalyticalscientist.com/issues/2025/articles/jan/the-search-for-cleopatra-s-sister-continuesAustrian Academy of Sciences, https://www.oeaw.ac.at/en/oeai/media/press-releases/cleopatras-sister

Every era had its rebels, geniuses, and revolutionaries—but too many of them were women whose names you’ve never heard.This is their comeback.With each episode, Wanderous Affair's They Tried to Erase Her takes you behind the propaganda, into the archives, and through the smoke of history’s double standards to rediscover the women who changed everything.