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.
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 in 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 was born in the County of ...
. 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 language, 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, ...
() in
Colmar
Colmar (; ; or ) is a city and commune in the Haut-Rhin department and Alsace region of north-eastern France. The third-largest commune in Alsace (after Strasbourg and Mulhouse), it is the seat of the prefecture of the Haut-Rhin department ...
, 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 (1527 – 24 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 Ni ...
(''
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, which may have been compiled in the fifth century CE, or earlier. Its language is in many ways ...
'', 1545) and
Sabina Welserin (''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 Wolfenbüttel
Wolfenbüttel (; ) is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany, the administrative capital of Wolfenbüttel District
Wolfenbüttel (; ) is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany, the administrative capital of Wolfenbüttel (district), Wolfenbüttel Distri ...
* ''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
German women food writers
German women writers
German cookbook writers
1596 deaths
16th-century German women writers
16th-century German writers