Meta Wellmer (born Margarethe Wirth; 18 December 1826/1832 – 1 August 1889), who also wrote under the pseudonym M. Wirth, was a German writer, teacher, and activist. She was an advocate for animal welfare, vegetarianism, and women's rights.

Biography

Early life and education

Margarethe Wirth was either born on 18 December 1826 or in 1832 in Leonrod, Kingdom of Bavaria.[1][2] Her mother was Eva Margaretha Wirth, an unmarried weaver and the daughter of the mayor of Leonrod, who married Johann Geck in Deberndorf in 1830. Meta Wellmer later identified Michael Ludwig Wellmer [de] the Royal Bavarian District Judge and City Commissioner who died in Munich in 1859, as her father; however, it is uncertain whether he was her biological father, as he was not listed on her baptismal certificate.[3] Through him, she received a thorough education in the sciences, modern languages, and music.[4]

Career

Wellmer became a teacher at the age of 17.[4] She taught in Germany, Switzerland, Paris, London, Madrid, and Rome. During her career, she gained prominence as a writer, publishing multiple collections of poetry and short stories, along with numerous articles on topics such as education, nutrition, and women's rights in both domestic and international journals.[5]

Vegetarianism and animal welfare

Wellmer became a vegetarian in 1869 and was extremely active in the vegetarianism and animal welfare movements.[4] She was one of the early female contributors to the Vereinsblatt der Freunde der natürlichen Lebensweise ("Association Journal for Friends of the Natural Way of Life"). Her contributions included a poem in 1872 and a piece titled "Two Days of Travel" in Switzerland from a vegetarian perspective in 1874. She was one of the few women who regularly wrote for the journal during the late 19th century.[6]

Wellmer also published independent works focused on animal welfare. Additionally, she authored the book Die vegetarische Lebensweise und die Vegetarier ("The Vegetarian Way of Life and the Vegetarians"; 1877).[6]

Correspondence

Wellmer was a correspondent of Scottish essayist, historian, and philosopher Thomas Carlyle, and his family.[7]

Wellmer wrote to Friedrich Nietzsche in 1875, enclosing a copy of her book Geistergeschichten aus neuerer Zeit ("Ghost Stories from Modern Times"). In the letter, she discusses her admiration for Schopenhauer's philosophy, particularly the moral and ethical implications it has on daily life. She highlights her commitment to vegetarianism, which she adopted after recognizing it as the only moral and humane way of life, and proposes the creation of a society for Schopenhauer's followers to promote his teachings, including equality, kinship, and support for others.[8]

Personal life and death

Wellmer was a feminist and spiritualist.[9]

Wellmer spent most of her life in Ebersdorf, Reuss.[5] She died there on 1 August 1889, at the reported age of 62.[10]

Publications

  • Geistergeschichten aus neuerer Zeit [Ghost Stories from Modern Times]. Nordhausen. 1875.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  • Theophile: Eine Erzählung [Theophile: A Story]. Halle. 1876.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  • Deutsche Erzieherinnen und deren Wirkungskreis [German Female Educators and Their Sphere of Influence]. Leipzig. 1877.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  • Die vegetarische Lebensweise und die Vegetarier [The Vegetarian Way of Life and the Vegetarians]. Göthen. 1877.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  • Das Verhältniss des Kindes zur Thierwelt: ein Beitrag zur Gemüthsbildung [The Relationship of the Child to the Animal World: A Contribution to the Formation of the Emotion]. Munich. 1878.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  • Gemüthsbildung und Thierschutz [Emotional Education and Animal Protection]. Munich. 1882.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  • Gedichte [Poems]. Zürich. 1883.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  • Ludwig Richters Lebenserinnerungen [Ludwig Richter’s Memoirs]. 1886.
  • Hellsehen und Irrwahn. Ernst und Scherz in der Mystik [Clairvoyance and Delusion. Seriousness and Joke in Mysticism]. 1886.

References

  1. ^ "Wellmer, Meta". CERL Thesaurus. Retrieved 15 February 2025.
  2. ^ "Wellmer, Meta". Lexikon deutscher Frauen der Feder (in German). Retrieved 14 February 2025.
  3. ^ Feis, Waltraud; Kress, Hans Werner (2004). Deberndorf: Geschichte und Geschichten eines fränkischen Dorfes [Deberndorf: History and Stories of a Franconian Village] (in German). Festgemeinschaft 700 Jahre Deberndorf. p. 101.
  4. ^ a b c Brümmer, Franz (1888). "Wellmer, Meta". Lexikon der deutschen Dichter und Prosaisten des neunzehnten Jahrhunderts (in German). P. Reclam. p. 469.
  5. ^ a b "Meta Wellmer". Comeniuszentrum (in German). Retrieved 14 February 2025.
  6. ^ a b Pack, Birgit (15 December 2020). "Frauen schreiben für den Vegetarismus" [Women Write for Vegetarianism]. fernetzt (in German). Retrieved 14 February 2025.
  7. ^ "'The Wellmer Correspondence', letters of Thomas Carlyle and family to Meta Wellmer". National Library of Scotland. Retrieved 14 February 2025.
  8. ^ "Nietzsche's Letters: 1875". The Nietzsche Channel. Retrieved 14 February 2025.
  9. ^ "MARY AITKEN TO META WELLMER". Carlyle Letters Online. doi:10.1215/lt-18681203-MAI-MEW-01. Retrieved 14 February 2025.
  10. ^ 'Der' illustrierte Thierfreund ['The' illustrated animal lover] (in German). Sima. 1896. p. 222.
Allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meta_Wellmer
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