Anna Wecker, née ''Keller'', widowed Aeschenberger (first half 16th century – 1596 in Altdorf near Nuremberg), was a 16th-century poet and cookbook author. She is frequently also referred to as Anna Weckerin. Ein köstlich new Kochbuch, 1598, Anna Weckerin, Einleitung

Ein köstlich new Kochbuch, 1598, Anna Weckerin, Einleitung

Life

Wecker was first married to Israel Aeschenberger, town clerk in Altdorf near Nuremberg. In 1572 their daughter Katharina married the scholar

Nicolaus Taurellus Nicolaus Taurellus (Latin, from german: Nikolaus Öchslinin 19th century translated to French as ''Nicolas Tourot''. No Google Books hit befor1859/ref>) (November 26, 1547September 28, 1606) was a German philosopher and medical academic. Life He w ...

. Following the death of her first husband, Wecker married the physician Johann Jakob Wecker (1528–1586) from Basel. He held the position of

city physician City physician (German: ; , , from Latin ) was a historical title in the Late Middle Ages for a physician appointed by the city council. The city physician was responsible for the health of the population, particularly the poor, and the sanitary ...

() in

Colmar Colmar (, ; Alsatian: ' ; German during 1871–1918 and 1940–1945: ') is a city and commune in the Haut-Rhin department and Grand Est region of north-eastern France. The third-largest commune in Alsace (after Strasbourg and Mulhouse), it is ...

, where he also died. Two years after his death Wecker published ''Antidotarium Speciale, ex. opt. authorum … scriptis fideliter congestum et amplius triente actum'' in Basel. Even earlier, in 1586, she had authored a wedding poem for Jacob Pömer and Barbara Löffelholtz, signing as „Anna Kellerin, Doctor Hannß Jacob Wecker seligen hinderlassene Wittfraw“ (Anna Kellerin, the late doctor Hannß Jacob Wecker's widow). Following her second husband's death Wecker lived with her daughter in Nuremberg. In the year of her death she finished her main work, the cookbook ''Ein Köstlich new Kochbuch'' (a delicious new cookbook), dedicated to Luise Juliana von Oranien-Nassau. It was the first printed cookbook in German authored by a woman. It was published in 1597 by Katharina Taurellus and reprinted numerous times until the end of the 17th century. Together with

Philippine Welser Philippine Welser (152724 April 1580) was the morganatic wife of Ferdinand II, Archduke of Austria. She was granted the titles Baroness of Zinnenburg, Margravine of Burgau, Landgravine of Mellenburg and Countess of Oberhohenberg and Niederhohenb ...

(''

De re coquinaria ''Apicius'', also known as ''De re culinaria'' or ''De re coquinaria'' (''On the Subject of Cooking'') is a collection of Roman cookery recipes. It is thought to have been compiled in the fifth century AD. Its language is in many ways closer ...

'', 1545) and

Sabina Welserin Sabina Welser, otherwise unknown, was the author of a German cookbook, ''Das Kochbuch der Sabina Welserin'', which she dated 1553 in her brief epigraph. The Welser were members of the mercantile patriciate of Augsburg, international mercantile ban ...

(''Das Kochbuch der Sabina Welserin'', 1553), Anna Wecker counts amongst the few 16th-century women food writers known by name.Classen, S. 300.

Works

* ''Ein Hochzeit Spruch / zu Ehren und glücklicher Wolfart. Dem Erbarn und Vesten Junckern / Jacob Pömern / vnd seiner Erbarn und Tugentsamen Braut / Jungfrawen Barbara Löffelholtzin: Gestellet Durch / Anna Kellerin: Doctor Hannß Jacob Wecker seligen hinderlassene Wittfraw'' (1586) – in possession of

Herzog August Bibliothek The Herzog August Library (german: link=no, Herzog August Bibliothek — "HAB"), in Wolfenbüttel, Lower Saxony, known also as ''Bibliotheca Augusta'', is a library of international importance for its collection from the Middle Ages and ear ...

Wolfenbüttel Wolfenbüttel (; nds, Wulfenbüddel) is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany, the administrative capital of Wolfenbüttel District. It is best known as the location of the internationally renowned Herzog August Library and for having the largest c ...

* ''Ein Köstlich new Kochbuch: Von allerhand Speisen / an Gemüsen / Obs / Fleisch / Geflügel / Wildpret / Fischen und Gebachens. Nicht allein vor Gesunde: sondern auch vnd Fürnemblich vor Krancke / in allerley Kranckheiten vnd Gebrästen: auch Schwangere Weiber / Kindbetterinnen / vnd alte schwache Leute / künstlich und nützlich zuzurichten und zu gebrauchen. Dergleichen vormals nie in Truck außgangen. Mit fleiß beschrieben durch F. Anna Weckerin. Weyland Herrn D. Johann Jacob Weckers / des berümbten Medici, seligen / nachgelassene Wittib'' (1597) – in possession of Herzog August Bibliothek Wolfenbüttel

Literature

* , p. 468 about Anna Wecker * ''Eine weibliche Stimme im poetischen Ehediskurs – Anna Keller''. In: Albrecht Classen: ''Der Liebes- und Ehediskurs vom hohen Mittelalter bis zum frühen 17. Jahrhundert''. Waxmann, Münster 2005, p. 294–300.

References

External links

*
Ein Köstlich new Kochbuch
', several digitized editions at Bayerischen Staatsbibliothek
Part 4 of the cookbook
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wecker, Anna Women food writers Women cookbook writers German women writers German food writers 1596 deaths 16th-century German women writers 16th-century writers 16th-century German writers