Stockfisch, Honig, Gänsefleisch und Safran Studie zur Ernährung der Kirchheimer Nonnen nach dem Rechnungsbuch der Barbara von Speyer (1481-85)

Abstract

The account book of Barbara of Speyer lists the income and expenses of the Dominican community St. Johannes Baptista in Kirchheim under Teck for the years 1481 to 1485. The source provides information about the community’s various trading partners, such as farmers, workers in the vineyards and craftsmen. The account book also gives other details, such as the costs of a new window in the refectory and the wages of a monastic carter. Furthermore, the source provides insights into the everyday life and economy of a medieval community of women. This paper focuses on the expenditures for food, especially for fish, fruits, meat and spices (fol. 75r to 86v) and thus on questions concerning nu-trition, the cost of living and the standard of living in a Swabian women's monastery.