Wollerin, Cecilie (d. 1341)
Wollerin, Cecilie (d. 1341)
Wool merchant of Germany . Died in 1341 in Regens-burg, Germany; never married; no children.
Cecilie Wollerin, a German wool merchant, was born into a family of urban artisans of Regensburg. It is unclear why she never married; perhaps there was not enough money for a dowry sufficient to make her a desirable bride, or perhaps Wollerin herself rejected the idea of marriage and was permitted to act as she wished. Her single status was eventually part of her enormous financial success. She inherited her parents' wool-weaving company on her father's death (which would not have been likely had she been married) and managed the operation herself for many years. Wollerin's business acumen and independent status led her company to flourish, and she amassed enormous personal wealth; she was one of the richest citizens of Regensburg when she died.
sources:
Klapisch-Zuber, Christiane, ed. A History of Women in the West, vol. II: Silences of the Middle Ages. Cambridge, MA: Belknap-Harvard, 1992.
Laura York , M.A. in History, University of California, Riverside, California