 She became involved in the "Mädchenrettungshaus" (""home for orphans and the neglected"") set up for girl-children by her brother Philipp von Nathusius in the town, and she also established a sewing and knitting school for young girls, of which she would take charge for the next forty years.Working at her brother's orphanage she was alerted to the particular plight of one girl who was mentally handicapped, and from this she became aware of the wider set of issues confronting such children.Her brother Philipp suggested she should familiarize herself with the so-called "Anstalt für Blöde" ("loosely "Institution for the mentally challenged"") that had been set up at Neuendettelsau (Lower Bavaria) by the pastor Wilhelm Löhe (1808 – 1872) who was a pioneer of the German .