Anne of Denmark, Electress of Saxony

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Medical Practice

Like most noblewomen during her time, Anne of Denmark had a strong understanding of medical care. She provided basic medical care to her servants and courtiers as well as local poor who were ill. Her social status as the daughter of King Christian III of Denmark (1503–1559) and the wife of Elector August of Saxony (1526–1586) gave her connections throughout the Holy Roman Empire which she used to exchange medical recipes and knowledge with other nobles. Her interest in medical alchemy and her social connections allowed her to develop medical skills and a reputation as a medical practitioner.

Anne’s medicinal practices and cures were well-known across the Holy Roman Empire and she often received letters asking for medical advice or cures from nobles, including Emperor Maximilian II, as well as commoners, and even learned physicians like Joseph Neefe, a court physician.

Anne’s most popular medicine was aqua vitae which she learned directly from the personal instruction of Countess Dorothea of Mansfeld from 1555-1559. Yellow and white aqua vitae were particularly complicated alcoholic distillations of water infused with herbs. They were remedies for dizziness, epidemic disease, stroke, epilepsy, dropsy, plague, chest congestion, heart palpitations, evil stomach, constipation, and eye pain. Anne used her communication network to distribute her salve, gifting it to acquaintances and nobles, most especially around gift giving times like New Year’s. In addition to gifting her aqua vitae to friends, she also felt it was important to help those who were ill and poor. Anne would often help those that approached her asking for advice and kept a dedicated medical cabinet for the poor who were ill.

As Anne’s skill improved, she emphasized the importance of proper technique and careful attention in each step of the production process. Anne called this focus on the making of her medicines "handiwork" and it would remain an important aspect of her medical practice throughout her career. Beyond her practice making remedies, she later redesigned instruments used in the distillation process to be more efficient. These improvements included new flasks with longer necks and stronger glass jars to transport her aqua vitae.

The princely hunting lodge at Lochau Castle in Saxony-Anhalt was torn down, rebuilt as a large distilling house with an extensive herb garden and an apothecary. Renamed "Annaburg", it was the first Saxon palace apothecary and was the primary place Anne would practice her medical distillation. The other was Dresden palace which had an alchemical laboratory built behind it. Both were necessary to keep up with the demands for her medications. Anne was helped by hosts of servants in both locations but still maintained some hands-on role in the making process which she felt was important to the learning process. At the time of her death, Annaburg stores "contained 181 different types of distilled waters ... as well as thirty-two medicinal oils, six vinegars, and two jars of rose honey." These are a symbol of her medical legacy.

Anne’s interest in medicine went beyond making medicines. She also was involved in the profession of midwifery. Anne recognized the lack of skilled midwives in Saxony for local, poor women. She focused on creating more training opportunities for new midwives through the teachings of older, more skilled midwives. In 1564, Anne asked the Zwickau council for an older midwife to train new midwives and be compensated for it. Continuing her efforts to help the midwifery issue, in December of 1570, she wrote to Martin Pfinzing, a merchant and city Councilor in Nuremberg, to ask for his help in getting more midwives into the Saxony region.

Having been pregnant at least 12 times by 1570, Anne was familiar with the process of pregnancy and birth. For this reason, noblewomen throughout the Holy Roman Empire contacted Anne for questions relating to their pregnancies and births. Anne's response was often to recommend avoiding certain foods and for the women to "have trust in God". Depending on the condition of the woman, she would also sometimes provide medicines she made like Kinderbalsam and Kinderöl to help. Anne was in close contact with Mother Marta, a skilled and trusted midwife in Saxony and would often send her to help noblewomen with their births. If Mother Marta was not available or the woman lived too far away, Anne would help arrange a midwife for them.

Literature

Böttcher, Hans-Joachim (2018), Elisabeth von Sachsen und Johann Kasimir von der Pfalz: Ein Ehe- und Religionskonflikt [Elisabeth of Saxony and John Casimir of the Palatinate: A Marital and Religious Conflict] (in German), Dresden: Dresdner Buchverlag, ISBN 9783946906063.

Delau, Reinhard (1 November 1995), "From the history of Ostragehege (3): rise and fall of the Ostra chamber estate", SZ.

Inhetveen, Heath (1999), "Agrarpionierinnen. Women as bearers of the agricultural progress", in Heidrich, Hermann (ed.), Frauenwelten: Arbeit, Leben, Politik und Perspektiven auf dem Land [Women's Worlds: Work, life, politics and prospects in the country] (in German), Bath Windsheim: Verl Franconian Open-air Museum, ISBN 3-926834-41-2.

Keller, Katrin (2000), "Princess Anna of Saxony. Of possibilities and limits of a "mother country"", in Hirschbiegel, Jan; Paravicini, Werner (eds.), Das Frauenzimmer: die Frau bei Hofe in Spätmittelalter und früher Neuzeit [The Women's Room: The woman at the court in late medieval and early modern] (in German), Stuttgart: Thorbecke, ISBN 3-7995-4511-5.

Klein, Thomas (1962), "The battle for the 2nd Reformation in Saxony 1586-91", Mitteldt. Research, 25.

Posse, Otto (1897), The House of Wettin, Leipzig: Giesecke & Devrient.

Robbers, Hellmut (June 1994), "Gardening and landscape design", The Union, 4.

Schlude, Ursula (2000), Die Hofhalterin - Kurfürstin Anna von Sachsen : 1532-1585 [The Hofhalterin. Princess Anna of Saxony 1532–1585], Women of the Renaissance, WDR.

Schlude, Ursula; Inhetveen, Heath; High, Albrecht (2005), "From the shops of the Princess", Research (Magazine of the DFG), 2: 22–24.

Schmidt, Otto Eduard (1913), Saxon raids, Leipzig: Grunow.

Sturmhoefel, Konrad (1905), Kurfürstin Anna von Sachsen : ein politisches und sittengeschichtliches Lebensbild aus dem XVI. Jahrhundert [Princess Anna of Saxony. A political and cultural historical picture of life from the 16th century], Leipzig: Haberland.

Victor, August Richard (1859), The Elector of Saxony, Chancellor Nicholas Krell, Dresden: Kuntze.

von Weber, Carl (1865), Anna, Duchess of Saxony Churchill, Leipzig: Tauchniz.

Anne of Denmark, Electress of Saxony

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