Emil Weilshäuser | |
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 Portrait fromFifty Years of Food Reform (1898) | |
| Born | (1827-07-31)31 July 1827 |
| Died | After 1906 |
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| Known for | Vegetarianism andanti-vivisection activism |
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Emil Weilshäuser[note 1] (31 July 1827 – after 1906) was a German publisher, writer, translator, and activist. He was a leading figure in the early Germanvegetarianism andanti-vivisection movement and published and translated a number of English-language works on vegetarianism into German. He also authored several works on the subject, including a vegetarian cookbook, which went through several editions. Weilshäuser served as President of the Vegetarian Society of Germany from 1882 to 1885 and was a member of the BritishVegetarian Society andVictoria Street and International Anti-Vivisection Society. Additionally, he advocated forwomen in medicine. He was also associated with theLebensreform movement.
Emil Weilshäuser was born inOppeln,Silesia, on 31 July 1827, as the sixth child in a family where his father was a printer. Educated at the local gymnasium, he learned printing in his father's office. His eldest brother, Gustave, a lifelongvegetarian who died in 1890, was a strong influence.[1]: 484
Weilshäuser became a vegetarian after a butchered calf fixed their dying gaze on him.[2] In May 1844, his brother lent himWilhelm Zimmerman'sDer Weg zum Paradies ("The Way to Paradise"), which solidified his commitment to vegetarianism. Despite early opposition from his father, readingGustav Struve'sMandaras'Wanderungen ("The Wanderings of Mandaras") andJean-Antoine Gleizes'sThalysie further reinforced his beliefs. Weilshäuser translatedThalysie into German but struggled to find a publisher.[1]: 484
In 1850, Weilshaeuser emigrated toTexas with fellow Silesians but returned the following year due to the challenges of maintaining his vegetarianism. From 1855 to 1862, he ran a printing office inNeustadt, Silesia. After several failed business attempts, he retired with a modest income, realizing his true talent did not lie in business.[1]: 484
Weilshäuser became a member of the BritishVegetarian Society in October 1852, with his declaration signed byJames Simpson,[1] serving as a Foreign Corresponding Secretary.[3][4] Weilshäuser was also an Honorary Corresponding Member of theVictoria Street and International Anti-Vivisection Society (later the National Anti-Vivisection Society).[5] In 1870, Weilshäuser published a pamphlet, translated from English, which criticized vivisection.[6]
Weilshäuser later returned to Oppeln. He attended the inaugural meeting of the Vegetarian Society of Germany in May 1869.[7] Following the death ofEduard Baltzer, he served as president and remained in the post for three years.[1]: 484 [8]
In 1888, Weilshäuser wrote to the British Vegetarian Society, congratulating them on reaching their 41st anniversary.[1]: 416 In 1907, he again wrote to them, commending them on reaching theirdiamond jubilee.[9]
Weilshäuser published several influential works in the German vegetarian movement between 1855 and 1861.[10][11] His most notable work was the twelve-volumeFamilienbibliothek: Gesundheit, Wohlstand, und Gluck ("Family Library: Health, Wealth, and Happiness") containing translations of major treatises on vegetarianism andhygiene by prominent authors such asO. S. Fowler,Lydia Fowler,R. G. Gammage,Sylvester Graham,William Horsell,F. R. Lees,T. L. Nichols,A. Nicholson,James Scholefield,John Smith,Laroy Sunderland, andF. Towgood.[12]
The first use of the German word for vegetarianism ("vegetarianismus") in a book is attributed to an 1855 work published by Weilshäuser,Was ist Vegetarianismus?,[13] a translation of William Horsell'sWhat is Vegetarianism?.[14] An appendix, published in 1856, contained recipes fromVegetable Cookery by the English cookbook writerMartha Brotherton.[15] In 1871, Weilshäuser authored a vegetarian cookbook, containing an extensive collection of recipes.[16] It went through several editions, with later ones containing illustrations.[15][17] In 1886, he authored a book arguing for vegetarianism from a scientific perspective,Wissenschaftliche Zeugnisse zu Gunsten der vegetarianischen Lebensweise ("Scientific evidence in favor of the vegetarian lifestyle").[18]
In 1876, Emil Weilshäuser, along with others, includingTheodor Hahn, co-publishedDer Vegetarianer: Zeitschrift für naturgemäße Nähr- und Lebensweise ("The Vegetarians: Newspaper for a Natural Way of Eating and Living"), a German-language periodical dedicated to the promotion of vegetarianism and natural living. The magazine, which ran from May 1876 to December 1877, was one of the earliest publications of its kind, offering readers 12 issues per year that explored topics related to natural nutrition, lifestyle, and the ethical considerations of a vegetarian diet. Published in bothSt. Gallen, Switzerland, andBerlin, Germany.[1]: 340
In 1868, Weilshäuser brought the debate in England and America about allowing women to be doctors to the wider public in Germany,[19] with his paper "Weibliche Ärzte fü Frauen" ("Female Doctors for Women").[20] In his speech, he quoted English physician Dr. James Edmunds at the opening of the Female Medical Society in London, predicting the reaction of German opponents to women studying medicine: "Although fulfilling our desire would honor the insight of highly civilized nations, as with any new reform, the voices of opponents can multiply from the toad pond of old prejudices.".[20]
The date and location of Weilshäuser's death is unknown.[21][22]
German historianWolfgang R. Krabbe [de] considers Weilshäuser the "most important propagandist [of the vegetarian idea] before 1866".[21]
The Vegetarian Society of Germany held its first annual meeting in Nordhausen on the 19th May ... Perhaps you will notice that I am not now living in Neustadt, but in Oppeln, Silesia.
{{citation}}: CS1 maint: work parameter with ISBN (link)Emil Weilshäuser (1827-unbekannt)
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