family visits to the zoo. At the age of 12 she had an ear injury and had to undergo an operation. She took a keen interest in anatomy, asking the surgeon many questions. Magdalena Heinroth was also influenced by a natural history teacher Seinig who showed her how to prepare skeleton specimens. She then set up a small personal museum and also learned illustration techniques from an experienced woman, professor Ewald.

Along with her father, the sixteen year old Magdalena went to the Zoologisches Museum, today Museum für Naturkunde Berlin,