Hanna van Recklinghausen
Hanna van Recklinghausen | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1332 Lochem, Netherlands |
| Occupation(s) | Financier, trader |
| Years active | 1347–1349 |
| Known for | Earliest identified female trader in the Netherlands |
Hanna van Recklinghausen (1332 – post-1349) was a financier based in Lochem, Netherlands, acknowledged as the earliest identified female trader in the nation.
She was the offspring of Godschalk (Gottschalk), a Jewish Court Jew banker originating from Recklinghausen, Germany. Her father provided loans to aristocrats, and from 1347, Hanna is noted as his assistant and business partner. Her sister, Hannah Rose, along with another female family member, also took part in the banking operations. Within Jewish society, women could conduct business activities as long as they fulfilled religious duties, with fathers instructing their daughters in reading, writing, and arithmetic.
The last known reference to Hanna van Recklinghausen dates to 1349. During the Black death period, Jewish populations were subjected to violent attacks and accusations such as well poisoning. The town of Lochem was governed by Duke Reginald III of Gelderland, who in 1350 imprisoned a number of Jews; it remains unclear whether Hanna was included among them or what their fate was. There are no subsequent records mentioning her after 1349.