Anna Wecker, née Keller, widowed Aeschenberger, 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 scholarNicolaus Taurellus. Following the death of her first husband Wecker married the physician Johann Jakob Wecker from Basel. He held the position of town physician in Colmar, 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 weddingpoem for Jacob Pömer and Barbara Löffelholtz, signing as „Anna Kellerin, Doctor Hannß Jacob Wecker seligen hinderlassene Wittfraw“. 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 cookbookEin Köstlich new Kochbuch, 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 and Sabina Welserin, Anna Wecker counts amongst the few 16th-century women food writers known by name.
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 – in possession of Herzog August Bibliothek Wolfenbüttel
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 – in possession of Herzog August BibliothekWolfenbüttel
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.
