Dorothea of Mansfeld
Countess Dorothea of Mansfeld (1493–8 June 1578){{r|Mansfelder Blätter 1911}} was a German noblewoman and healer. She was well known around Germany for her medical recipes, mentorship, and generosity towards people of all social classes.
Early life and family
Dorothea of Mansfeld was a noblewoman, and one of the most famous female healers in Germany.{{r|Rankin 2013}} She was born around 1493 and died in 1578. She was one of twelve children born to Count Philip of Solms-Lich and Adriana of Hanua Munzenberg. Dorothea's passion for medicine was influenced by her elder brother, Count Reinhard I of Solms-Lich, who was educated in medicine. Many of her family members were medical healers. This included her daughter (Dorothea of Schönberg), her niece (Anna of Hohenlohe), her daughter-in-law (Agnes of Solms), and her niece by marriage (Agnes of Solms).{{r|Rankin 2007}} Dorothea married in 1512 to Count Ernst II of Mansfeld-Vorderort{{r|Luther2012}} and had thirteen children. She became a widow at the age of 38 in 1531.{{r|Krumhaar 1869}} Dorothea lived in the Mansfeld Castle with most of her family and children.{{r|Schloss Mansfeld}} While there, she possessed a well-stocked apothecary, a distilling house, and full garden of herbs and plants for her various recipes.{{r|Rankin 2007}} The Mansfeld castle is located in Saxony-Anha, Germany. Before her move to Saxony, her location, much like information on her early life, is unknown. Most documentation on the Mansfeld region before the 19th century has been lost.
Medical practice
Dorothea was commonly known for her selfless service to people of all social classes.{{r|Rankin 2007}} The most important aspect of her medical care was her altruistic acts of kindness towards the poor. She was a very charitable healer and her medical recipes were known to heal thousands of people from near and far.{{r|Rankin 2007}} Despite being a widow, and therefore economically unstable, she used her healing abilities to heal both rich and poor people. She gave many gifts, and would often perform medical healing as an act of charity.{{r|Rankin 2013}} With a humanist upbringing by her father, she learned to create relationships with noble people of both Catholic and Protestant background, she was also supportive to the Jewish community that tried to make a home in the Mansfeld area.{{r|teWOE}}
It was expected for noblewomen to have basic medical knowledge in order to provide assistance to anyone living on their estates.{{r|Rankin 2007}} However, Dorothea extensively researched medical practices, and developed a knowledge that surpassed these narrow expectations.{{r|Rankin 2007}} Her work gained fame when she was almost 80 years old. Many of Dorothea's recipes were referenced in medical recipe books, and her medical advice was sought out by many German princes and noblemen.{{r|Rankin 2013}} Her most prized recipes were for two types of aqua vitae a white and a yellow version.{{r|Rankin 2007}} Both were strong alcoholic beverages, the yellow slightly sweeter. These drinks were very popular because they could be used to treat multiple ailments. These recipes made use of distilled water, which was a popular medical treatment for the elite. The distillation process for any medicine took long periods of time from months to years. Dorothea was one of the earliest to create a distilling house on her property, and after her example many noblewomen followed.{{r|Rankin 2007}} These distilleries were not only present on private properties but also at churches, monasteries, and other public locations. The garden at the Mansfeld castle grew many of the common ingredients that Dorothea used for her recipes such as herbs, flowers, fruits, and other plants.{{r|Rankin 2007}}
Sample recipe
Dorothea's recipe books and any other copied works of hers were treasured not only because of her medical knowledge, but also because she had uniquely beautiful penmanship. The act of making books during this time period is described as a painstakingly long process that was done with patience, money, and practice.{{r|zU6iP}} To write a book an author must have the time and resources to obtain all necessary supplies.
Example recipe: Plague treatment recipes [Summer 1572]{{r|Rankin 2012}}
- 2 handfuls chopped licorice
- 2 handfuls senna leaves
- 1 handful hart's tongue
- 1 handful spike lavender
- 2 good handfuls bog bean flowers, very good for this illness
- 2 handfuls pulverized juniper berries
- 1 handful scurvy weed
- 1 handful yellow lily root, chopped finely
- 1 handful gray cress
- 1 handful mint
- 1 handful sage leaves and one-half mab honey
- 1 handful hyssop
Relationships
Dorothea's relationship with Anne of Denmark, Electress of Saxony was a noteworthy partnership. The two elite women are commonly known for their extensive experimentation with medical remedies {{r|Rankin 2007}} Letters reveal this close relationship, and highlight that the two women in addition to creating medical recipes together, practiced other skills and visited often {{r|Rankin 2007}} Anna of Saxony was the wife of a politician, and this relationship helped Dorothea financial situation immensely.{{r|Rankin 2007}} Dorothea acted as a mentor and assistant to Anna, in turn Anna helped Dorothea's recipes live on by passing them on to her children and sharing them long after Dorothea's death. Both noblewomen possessed their own personal distillation houses and gardens in which they grew the necessary herbs to create their medical remedies.{{r|Rankin 2007}}
Dorothea's medical facility was very impressive at the time, and deserving of a detailed description in a book by Cyriacus Spangenber {{r|Spangenber 1578}} Spangenber talked highly of Dorothea's garden, library, and heavily stocked apothecary.{{r|Spangenber 1578}} Many of Dorothea's recipes were referenced in medical recipe books and she extended her medical expertise to German princes and other male medical professionals.{{r|Rankin 2013}} Additionally, Anna of Saxony notes that Dorothea passed her medical knowledge on to a small group of female medical healers that included Dorothea of Schönberg, Anna of Hohenlohe, Agnes of Solms, and Magdlena of Mansfeld {{r|Rankin 2007}} This group of women commonly visited Mansfeld Castle and referred to Dorothea as the "mother of Mansfeld"{{r|Rankin 2007}} Medicine was often viewed as a feminine practice, therefore creating medical recipes was an acceptable activity for these noblewomen.{{r|Rankin 2007}}
Another noteworthy relationship Dorothea had was with [http://www.history.com/topics/martin-luther-and-the-95-theses Martin Luther]. Martin Luther had the best care available to him, yet he sought out the medical advice of Dorothea.{{r|Rankin 2013}} By the time of her death, her medical practices were widely known throughout Germany.
References
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Further reading
- Ahuis, F. (2020). Gräfin Dorothea von Mansfeld-Vorderort. Luthers judenfreundliche Apothekerin, Lutherjahrbuch 87, 2020, 161–195.
- Rankin, Alisha. Panaceia's daughters. Chicago: University of Chicago press, 2013. Print.
- "The Recipes Project." The Recipes Project. University of Chicago Press, n.d. Weborn 25 Oct. 2014.
- Seidel, R. (2008, April 1). The development of the synagogue in Eisleben. Retrieved December 4, 2014, from http://www.synagoge-eisleben.de/start/The_Synagogue.html
- Spangenberg, Cyriacus. "Mansfeldische Chronica der vierte Teil [1578]," Mansfelder Bla ̈tter, 1916, 30:56.
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Category:Year of birth uncertain
Category:Year of death uncertain