Background
Born in Visby, Sweden to merchants Mathias Lythberg and Johanna Wihadi, she was given a good education, and was active as her father"s business assistant.
Born in Visby, Sweden to merchants Mathias Lythberg and Johanna Wihadi, she was given a good education, and was active as her father"s business assistant.
She was known as Donner Mum, Madam Donner, and Mr Madame Donner. They settled in Visby on Gotland in 1746, and had four children. They bought a building in Visby where they founded an empire of import and export with Germany and Great Britain.
The building is now known as ”The Donner House”, and the square by which the building is located was to be known as: ”Donner"s place”.
Margaretha was the company"s accountants When she became a widow in 1751, she took sole control over the business as director
She made herself responsible for the export, and created a merchant fleet with twenty ships. She also founded a factory on Gotland.
The business eventually went bankrupt in 1845.