# Ida Rolf

_American biochemist, creator of Structural Integration (Rolfing) (1896–1979)_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/ida-rolf
Last updated: 2026-11-15

> Ida Pauline Rolf was a biochemist and the creator of the pseudoscientific practice of Structural Integration, later termed Rolfing, a type of manual therapy that claims to aligning the human body's so-called "energy field" and Earth's gravity.

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 19 May 1896 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q56185#P569))
- **Place of birth:** The Bronx ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q56185#P19))
- **Died:** 19 March 1979 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q56185#P570))
- **Place of death:** Bryn Mawr ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q56185#P20))
- **Citizenship:** United States ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q56185#P27))
- **Occupation:** biochemist; chemist ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q56185#P106))
- **Education:** Barnard College; Columbia University; Morris High School ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q56185#P69))
- **Spouse:** Walter Frederick  Demmerle ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q56185#P26))

## Questions

**When was Ida Rolf born?**  
Ida Rolf was born on 19 May 1896 in The Bronx.

**Where did Ida Rolf study?**  
Ida Rolf was educated at Barnard College, Columbia University, Morris High School.

## Related

- [Ali Larter](https://diginpl.com/people/ali-larter)
- [Don Cornell](https://diginpl.com/people/don-cornell)
- [Doris Day](https://diginpl.com/people/doris-day)
- [Emilio Estevez](https://diginpl.com/people/emilio-estevez)
- [Martin Pope](https://diginpl.com/people/martin-pope)
- [Tenzing Norgay](https://diginpl.com/people/tenzing-norgay)
- [Suman Pokhrel](https://diginpl.com/people/suman-pokhrel)
- [Manisha Koirala](https://diginpl.com/people/manisha-koirala)
- [Gyanendra of Nepal](https://diginpl.com/people/gyanendra-of-nepal)
- [Birendra of Nepal](https://diginpl.com/people/birendra-of-nepal)
- [Nirmal Purja](https://diginpl.com/people/nirmal-purja)
- [Dipendra of Nepal](https://diginpl.com/people/dipendra-of-nepal)

## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): Ida Rolf](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ida_Rolf) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q56185](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q56185) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: Ida P. Rolf Mortarboard 1916 page 170.jpg by Unknown photographer; published by the Barnard College class of 1916 (Public domain)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ida_P._Rolf_Mortarboard_1916_page_170.jpg)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article Ida Rolf, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: Ida P. Rolf Mortarboard 1916 page 170.jpg — Unknown photographer; published by the Barnard College class of 1916, Public domain.

## Cite this page

"Ida Rolf". DigiNepal. Last updated 15 November 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/ida-rolf. Retrieved 15 November 2026.