Clara Hätzlerin

Hätzlerin Clara (* 1430 in Augsburg, † probably 1476 or the following year ) was a labor writer of the 15th century. It is the only documented wife testified that created a fee handwritten copies of German codes. Undetectable she is in Augsburg tax books 1452-1476.

Origin

Clara Hätzlerin came from a typical for the former Augsburg notary family. Her father Bartholomew is attested as a so -called letter-writer, who regulated as commissioner rich citizens their legal claims. Documented evidence he is both in tax books 1409-1443 and by an entry in the Augsburg Missivbuch and as a witness in a mortgage note of Marx long. As Bartholomew died in 1444 /45, took over the eldest son Bartholomew, who is attested in documents as notarius publicus 1451-1496, the firm and therefore the tax liability.

Clara as a nun

In the research of medieval studies it was long believed Hätzlerin Clara had been a nun. This misconception came about because in the 15th century, women were indeed quite often represented as writers, but not outside the clerical area. The logical assumption, Clara was a read- nun, was first questioned in the review of the coming of her song book, as it some " inappropriate " were found to songs. The most conclusive Widerlegungsbeweis Augsburger deliver tax books from which it appears that Clara for 24 years in her father's home, paid taxes, which they never could have done as a nun, because their assets would be approached the monastery in this case.

Wage and professional writer in Augsburg

The profession of wage and professional writer is a phenomenon of the 15th century, a time in which flourished the write operation and the need to use literature grew. A pioneer in this area came to the city of Augsburg, which has achieved a list of over 30 proven hacks. Hacks were mostly lay people who cheap manuscript copies to the public manufactured by wrote-off these handwritten and not, as usual until then, members of the clergy, who were dedicated to the artful design of luxury manuscripts. Besides Clara Hätzlerin the calligrapher Molitor Heinrich and Heinrich Boll Lengefeld or about Konrad Statter belonged to this group of people. For professional writers, it was quite common to be casually working in the public, legal or administrative write operation. So Clara Hätzlerin worked in the office of her father and her brother Bartholomew Hätzler same name. As a secondary occupation she put her there handwritten copies of the ordered books. Some manuscripts from her pen, which are primarily about handbooks, are still preserved.

Position in the Germanistisches Medieval Studies

Clara Hätzlerin was not a writer in the true sense, but rather a writer of medieval manuscripts. Accordingly, they do not even wrote the lyrics of their codices, but already wrote famous works hand-written, and thus, at best, literally, from. For this reason, Clara Hätzlerin was given very little attention in the Germanic Medieval Studies long time. However, recent research suggests their importance, especially in the field of paleography. Clara wrote their lyrics in a very readable and carefully crafted script, which is often cited as a prototype of palaeographers the Kanzleibastarda in the 15th century. Last but not least enabled the consistent writers mention at the end of all codices their inclusion in the project at that time of the Institute for German Studies at the Karl- Franzens- University of Graz. Medievalists there trying to identify writer hands a manuscript using databases and use the manuscripts of the Hätzlerin as palaeographical comparison.

Works

So far, eight traditions of the Hätzlerin are known. In the research literature occasionally pops up on the count of nine codices. This is based on the assumption to consider the two-part Salzburg manuscript on " The Lives of the Saints " as separate works. In their writings are law books, hunting literature, a work from the field of mysticism and magic, and the manuscript collection " Songbook ". All eight manuscripts are from the period 1467-1473, namely the Kanzleibastarda were in a typical Clara Hätzlerin writing, written and could be unequivocally assigned as a writer Clara Hätzlerin since they signed most of the manuscripts themselves.

• The crowning emperor Fridrich: Heidelberg, cpg 677 (1467)
• Beizbüchlein: Donaueschingen, ms 830 (1468)
• Hymnal Clara Hätzlerin: Prague, Nat. mus ms. X. A. 12 (1470/71)
• Heinrich Münsinger " of the valcken, Habichen, sparrow hawks, pfäriden and dogs ": Stuttgart, HB XI 51 ( 1473 )
• Schwabenspiegel: Vienna, Austrian National Bank, cvp Ser. AD 3614 ( third quarter of the 15th century )
• Augsburg city charter of 1276: Augsburg, SuStb. 2 ° Cod Aug. 160 (undated )
• Johannes Hartlieb: " book of all the forbidden art": Heidelberg, cpg 478
• The Lives of the Saints: Salzburg, St. Peter b. XII 19a.-b. (undated )