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Countess Dorothea of Mansfled Dorothea of Mansfeld (c. 1493- c. 1578) was a noblewoman and lay healer who became famous for her popular medical recipes, and charity through health care for the poor. She was widowed and became a prevalent healer later in her life. Dorothea became a household name throughout Germany in the late 1500s more specifically 1550-1570.

Family life
She was born around 1493 and died in 1578. Born to Count Philip of Solms-Lich and Adriana of Hanua Munzenberg, she was one of twelve children. The roots of her passion for medicine stem from her upbringing, Dorothea’s elder brother Count Reinhard I of Solms-Lich was formally educated in medicine. She married in 1512 to Count Ernst II of Mansfeld-Vorderort and had thirteen children. Dorothea became a widow at around the age of 38 in 1531. Her family was torn in ideals during the Reformation with half its members for and half against the Reformation. Dorothea lived in the Mansfeld castle with most of her family and children. While there Dorothea possessed a well-stocked apothecary, a distilling house, and full garden of herbs and plants for her various recipes. 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.

Work
Dorothea was often referred to as the “Mother of Mansfeld.” She provided healthcare for the poor and rich alike. She became most famous later in her life after she was widowed and became a lay healer. 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. Her work became most prominent when she was almost 80 years old. The most important aspect of her medical care was her altruistic acts of kindness towards the poor. She was a very charitable lay healer. Dorothea was most famous for her medical recipes that treated many types of illnesses and were used on thousands of people from near and far. Her most prized recipes were for two types of aqua vitae a white and a yellow version. Both were strong alcoholic beverages, the yellow slightly sweeter. These drinks were very popular because they were strong and could be used to treat multiple ailments. These recipes are an example of distilled water, which were 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. These distilleries were not only present on private properties but also at churches, monasteries, and other public locations. As a lay healer and a humanist Dorothea did rely partially on the help of God but always was confident in her own treatments. 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. These common ingredients to Dorothea were sometimes bought through vendors and from far away because many noblewomen could not grow all of the necessary plants in their gardens, she is especially remarkable for stocking such a full variety of ingredients.

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. To write a book an author must have the time and resources to obtain all necessary supplies.

Example recipe: Plague treatment recipes [Summer 1572] 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 had friendly relations with many political figures of both religious backgrounds. She also kept close relations with physicians and other noblewomen. Dorothea used many of her relationships to boost her authority and to bring in income. Letters reveal that Dorothea possessed a very close relationship with Anna of Saxony who was the wife of a politician, this relationship strongly helped Dorothea financially. Anna was also known as a great medical healer and her legacy helped to pass on Dorothea’s recipes by passing them to her children who married into other politically strong families. Dorothea passed on her recipes to a group of other noblewomen who were also healers as well as her sons. Another noteworthy relationship she had was with Martin Luther. Martin Luther had the best care available to him by physicians yet he sought out the medical advice of Dorothea. This relationship is very important because Martin Luther was such a prominent religious figure during her lifetime.