In defence of womanhood

Gedik, Simon. Defensio sexus muliebris, opposita futilissimae disputationi recens editae, qua suppresso authoris & typographi nomine blaspheme contenditur, mulieres homines non esse.

€ 2,500.00

The two most important literary reactions to the scandalous anonymous anti-feminist polemic, "Disputatio nova contra mulieres, qua probatur eas homines non esse" (no place, 1595; VD 16, ZV 4618), which had denied the humanity of women (and thus their capacity for salvation). The pamphlet sparked a surge of 16th and 17th century satires. The theology department in Wittenberg warned its students against reading the book, while the Leipzig Professor of Hebrew, Simon Gediccus (1551-1631), published an apology of the female sex in which he refutes the pamphlet word for word.

Somewhat browned throughout due to paper; ms. note on last leaf. From the collection of the German lawyer Christian Friedrich Eberhard (1753-1818) with his bookplate on the front pastedown. Both works are very rare; neither one in German auction records since 1950.