Maribor’s history has been marked by many individuals who, in different periods, significantly co-shaped the city’s life and pulse. One of them was doctor Klara Kukovec, the first woman with a private medical practice in the city.

Klara was born as Chaya Lea Doktor in 1883 in Kherson, today’s Ukraine. Already in her early childhood, she felt the need to treat ill people but it was not an easy decision to enrol in this study: at the end of the 19th century, tsarist Russia was shaken by anti-Semitic riots, with oppression of political opponents and intellectuals. Further, the prejudice that women were not capable of study was deeply-rooted. Despite numerous obstacles, Klara finished her studies, became a doctor and opened her first private practice in Trieste in 1911. After the end of the First World War and the disintegration of Austrian-Hungarian Monarchy, she and her family moved to Maribor, where she opened another private practice. In Maribor, she was the only female doctor among male colleagues for many years.

The short documentary film presents Klara’s life and work and paints an image of an extremely determined and dedicated person who, regardless of all life’s trials, still worked as a private doctor at an advanced age – Klara was even accepting patients at the age of 92. She performed her profession with heart. More importantly, she always followed her dreams.

At the end of the year, we kindly invite you to the screening of Klara Kukovec’s short documentary film, which will be held on Tuesday, 23 December 2014, at 6 p.m. in the Prvi oder at the First Gymnasium Maribor, Trg Generala Maistra 1.

Free entry.