Thread by @MikeStuchbery_

Seems to me it’s time for another great tale from history. Lemme tell you about the late, great Anna Büschler, a 16th century German woman who wasn’t going to let centuries of systematic patriarchal oppression and misogyny stop her from getting hers… THREAD! /1

BTW, that portrait isn’t of Anna - none exist - it’s by Lucas Cranach, a contemporary of hers. /1a

Our story begins in the city of Schwäbisch Hall - just ‘Hall’ in those days - a town not too far from Stuttgart. In the late 15th century it was a free city of the Holy Roman Empire, a trading town known for two things - salt and coining. It was an affluent place. /2

It was here in 1497 that Anna was born to one of the city’s councillors. At this stage an German history, there were a number of cities throughout the Holy Roman Empire run by councils of rich, powerful merchant or artisan families. /3

Anna, much to the later chagrin of her family, was trained as a kind of majordomo for a noble family - the von Limpurgs. This was supposed to give her the knowledge to help run the family’s affairs, but Anna? She liked the look of the son, Erasmus & started knocking boots. /4

When she went home to mind her own family’s affairs in her father’s absence, they continued their affair, even when Erasmus was away. The rest of the time, she spent family funds power-dressing - some say immodestly - and living her best life. /5

In time, however, Anna’s eye started wandering. She wasn’t getting her fill from young Erasmus. Rather fortuitously, a young hunky soldier called Daniel Treutwein turned up, and for a while, Anna kept both relationships going, until Erasmus married. /6

Sources - gossip, really - tell of Daniel heading over to the Büschler house and the pair carrying on all hours of the night, working their way through the wine cellar and, presumably, all the positions the act of love can take. This gossip, however, soon reached her father. /7

Reaching into the family cash reserves was okay. So was carrying on the odd love affair. Carrying like this at nearly 30? That was scandalous. Hermann, her father grew increasingly irate, until he chased her out of the house - to the delight of the neighbours. /7

Still determined to get hers, Anna then headed to nearby Esslingen, where a higher court was established. She proceeded to ‘sue’ her father for what she claimed was the rightful inheritance from her dead mother. Meanwhile, her father sent bailiffs & henchmen to go and get her. /8

Anna was captured and brought back to Hall, where her father, determined to break his daughter’s will, had her *chained* to an oak table for six months. Anna wasn’t going to let this stop her, however. She escaped and fled to the city of Rottweil, where she ‘sued’ again. /9

By this stage, Hermann was luminescent with rage. He was the laughing stock of the council, and could barely show his face for fear of embarrassment. Meanwhile, Anna married a knight, Hans von Leuzenbrunn and continued to press her case, slowly winning bits of inheritance /10

The humiliation hastened Hermann’s death, & it seemed like Anna’s siblings were keen to make nice in the aftermath. Now widowed - I believe she married a way older dude  - Anna set off for Hall, ready to claim the rest of inheritance. Halfway there, however, she was captured. /11

This time, her siblings kept her locked up in a tower. Fools - they should have known that nothing stops Anna Büschler! This time, she busted out of her barred window and made her way to freedom. Then she went and married AGAIN - this time to a noble, Johann von Sproland. /12

Anna stayed married to Johann until she died in 1551, and her husband went on to secure the rest of her inheritance. Her final years apparently were happy, even despite the ongoing court case, /13

Anna’s story is unique in that a woman taking control of her sexual and economic self simply didn’t happen in 16th century Germany - especially among women of her class and station. It was scandalous, the talk of the city of Hall for decades!  Anna DNGAF tho! /14

If you would like to learn more about the life of the fantastic Anna Büschler, pick this absolute banger up from Amazon, or your favourite local book store. /15
amazon.co.uk/Burgermeisters…

In short, ladies, Anna is your energy going into the rest of this year. /FIN