The Burgermeister's Daughter: Scandal in a Sixteenth-Century German Town: Amazon.ca: Steven E. Ozment: Books

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The tragic but uplifting story of Anna Buschler, whose rebellion against the constricting mores of her times is reconstructed in this vivid social portrait of Germany at the end of the Middle Ages.

From Publishers Weekly

Ozment (Protestants: The Birth of a Revolution) brings a medieval drama to life in this meticulously researched and engrossing narrative of the 30-year lawsuit between Anna Buschler (1496/98-1552) and her family. Anna's father, Burgermeister (mayor) of the German town of Schwabisch Hall, banished his daughter from the family home in 1525 after he read letters that confirmed her sexual involvement with two men. Anna responded by suing her father, and after his death her siblings, for disinheriting her. Ozment details the twists and turns of Anna's legal battle, which continued during her two marriages and resulted in her being shackled to a table for six months by her father and later jailed briefly by the town council. She escaped from both incarcerations. Although Anna was promiscuous, Ozment convincingly argues that the Burgermeister's treatment was overly severe, and Anna emerges in this account as an unusually resourceful and feisty woman. Illustrated. History Book Club selection.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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First Sentence
ON JANUARY 27, 1552, IN THE COURTHOUSE OF THE CENTURIES south German imperial city of Schwabisch Hall, a notorious case of parental brutality and denial of family inheritance abruptly ended with the announcement of the death of the plaintiff, Anna Sporland, born Anna Buschler (1496/98-1552). Read the first page

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Customer Reviews

14 Reviews

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3.6 out of 5 stars (14 customer reviews)

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5.0 out of 5 stars A Superb Study of a Sixteenth-century ... Scandal, Dec 17 2003

By

K Scheffler (Canada) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Burgermeister's Daughter (Paperback)

The Burgermeister's Daughter is a fascinating and highly readable study of a ... scandal that errupted in the German city of Schwabish Hall during the early years of the Reformation. The central figure, Anne Buschler, the daughter of a former Burgermeister and long-time city councilman, was a girl who liked to test the limits and would often have tongues wagging over her--for that day and age, at least--wild behaviour. It came to the point where she was having intimate relations with two guys, Erasmus of Limpurg and Daniel Treutwein. When this was discovered by her father, he disinherited her; but instead of allowing herself to be cast adrift in this manner, she fought back and thus ensued a protracted legal battle against her father, and, after his death, her siblings. In the end, we are presented with an extra-ordinary glimpse into the lives of (upper class) Germans during this era, German culture and society, the status of women, and the intricacies of the German legal system. It's a rare treat to find a book that is so meticulously researched but so readable. Highly recommended.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent source for sixteenth-century Germany, Oct 26 2003

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Danielle Apodaca (California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Burgermeister's Daughter (Paperback)

Steven Ozment creates a book that is rich in research but also in storytelling. Ozment tells the story of Anna Buschler, the burgermeister of Hall's daughter and the scandal that erupted in this small sixteenth-century town. Ozment painstakingly recreates the small German town that Anna grew up in, we are introduced to her story through personal letters and court documents. His goal isn't to show that Anna was innocent of the crimes that were brought against her, but to show that the actions of her family and the courts were quite severe. Throughout the book we begin to understand the role of women, in particular daughters in sixteenth-century Germany.
Ozment relies on the personal letters of Anna, Daniel and Erasmus and he also looks at the court documents. He expertly tells the story of times and of the sources he had which is sadly not too much. But his use of his sources and the history of the period, Ozment creates a book that engrosses the reader into Anna's life and that of a daughter in sixteenth-century Germany. However, Ozment's sources are his greatest weakness. Since he has so few resources, there lies his limitations. Ozment is only able to tell the story that he is presented with and speculates on what he does not have. For example, in Chapter 3, Ozment brings forth the accusation of incest between Anna and he father. Ozment shows a quote out of the court documents from Anna saying that her father "abused her maidenly modesty" (121). With this quote, he takes the information to a new level. He does not really state that the quote could have been said to gain sympathy, but rather takes it that Anna's father could have molested her. Ozment wants to show Anna in a heroic light that he will stop at nothing to show her in nothing but a good perspective. Which is further seen in last sentence, "Anna may have been more heroic than the burgermeister of Hall and the Schenk of Leimpurg [her father] (194)."
As the tale of Anna goes on, it becomes less like a historical analysis but rather a sympathetic tale of one girls struggle against the indignities of her father and the court systems. Ozment ability as a storyteller brings Anna's story to life and the struggles of women during the sixteenth-century.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent source for 16th century Germany, Oct 26 2003

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Danielle Apodaca (California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Burgermeister's Daughter: Scandal in a Sixteenth-Century German Town (Hardcover)

Steven Ozment creates a book that is rich in research but also in storytelling. Ozment tells the story of Anna Buschler, the burgermeister of Hall's daughter and the scandal that erupted in this small sixteenth-century town. Ozment painstakingly recreates the small German town that Anna grew up in, we are introduced to her story through personal letters and court documents. His goal isn't to show that Anna was innocent of the crimes that were brought against her, but to show that the actions of her family and the courts were quite severe. Throughout the book we begin to understand the role of women, in particular daughters in sixteenth-century Germany.

This book was absolutely enchanting for every genre of reader, I am a graduate student and this proves invaluable for both research and entertainment!

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Most recent customer reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars Compelling story - Anna is a tragic figure, but heroic ? no
Steve Ozment presents a compelling story of a young woman who just would not live in a way that was acceptable to her family and the society she was born into. Read more

Published on July 14 2003 by Jiri Severa

4.0 out of 5 stars The Bergermeister's Daughter: Scandal in a Sixteenth Century
As a history student living in Germany I was greatly enthralled by this book. Ozment's understanding of the Medieval German society and its effects on its citizens is wonderful... Read more

Published on Oct 20 2001 by gunlar