eng el mann ) ▁towards ▁char itable ▁work ▁and ▁making ▁her ▁a ▁de acon ess . ▁ ▁S ieve king ▁decided ▁as ▁early ▁as ▁ 1 8 ▁to ▁remain ▁single , ▁and ▁v owed ▁to ▁create ▁a ▁religious ▁order ▁of ▁char itable ▁sister s . ▁When ▁ch ol era ▁broke ▁out ▁in ▁Hamburg ▁in ▁ 1 8 3 1 , ▁she ▁volunte ered ▁to ▁work ▁as ▁a ▁nur se ▁in ▁the ▁poor h ouses . ▁She ▁advert ised ▁for ▁other ▁high - ran king ▁women ▁to ▁join ▁her , ▁but ▁none ▁did , ▁so ▁she ▁went ▁alone . ▁So on ▁she ▁found ▁herself ▁in ▁charge ▁of ▁the ▁n urs ing ▁staff . ▁On ▁May ▁ 2 3 , ▁ 1 8 3 2 , ▁with ▁twelve ▁other ▁women , ▁instead ▁of ▁a ▁religious ▁society ▁she ▁founded ▁the ▁We ib licher ▁Verein ▁für ▁Armen - ▁und ▁K ran ken pf lege , ▁a ▁pione ering ▁dia con al ▁bene vol ent ▁society ▁that ▁aim ed ▁to ▁help ▁people ▁help ▁themselves ▁by ▁providing ▁" material ▁and ▁spiritual ▁assistance " ▁to ▁imp over ished ▁sick ▁people ▁and ▁their ▁families . ▁Work ers ▁were ▁enjo ined ▁to ▁preserve ▁the ▁dign ity ▁of ▁those ▁they ▁helped , ▁and ▁to ▁assist ▁with ▁cl othing ▁and ▁food . ▁The ▁head ▁of ▁the ▁society ▁was ▁to ▁be ▁elected ▁ann ually . ▁S ieve king ▁rejected ▁any ▁suggestion ▁that ▁a ▁male ▁head ▁was ▁required . ▁Regarding ▁char ity ▁work ▁for ▁women , ▁she ▁noted : ▁" In ▁a ▁great ▁many ▁cases ,