User:Ljleppan/Gese Althna

Gese Althna (fl. 1637-1646, also Geska, Giesa and Gesse in some sources) was a German-born woman who was instrumental in organizing the postal system in Sweden.

Althna is known to have worked as a servant for the Swedish ambassador to Hamburg. He married Andreas Wechsel, a postmaster in Lipzig. Wechsel was appointed as the director of a newly founded Swedish postal service in 1635, but fell soon badly ill. During this time, Althana aided him in organizing the postal service. Following Wechsel's death in 1637, Althna was appointed the postmaster general in 1638. She was responsible for both the state postal service in general, as well as the postal service of Stockholm in specific. She was forced to resign in 1643 due to - at least in part - her gender. She later moved back to Germany due to a declining health. Historical sources do not discuss her after that her return to Germany.