Sophia Elisabet Brenner

Sophia Elisabet Brenner
Sophia Elisabet Brenner
Born	29 April 1659
Died	14 September 1730 Stockholm
Residence
Other names	Sophia Elisabet Weber
Known for	Swedish writer, poet, and salonist
Spouse(s)	Elias Brenner; 15 children

Sophia Elisabet Brenner, née Weber (29 April 1659 – 14 September 1730), was a Swedish writer, poet, feminist and salon hostess.

Sophia Elisabet Brenner was born to the builder Niklas Weber, who was a German immigrant, and Kristina Spoor.

She was given an unusually high education for a female in 17th-century Sweden. Being the child of a German immigrant, she could speak both German and Swedish, and she also studied Latin. She was enrolled in the German School for Boys in . This was not unique - since 1575, girls were permitted as pupils in the first school classes in Sweden - but nevertheless not common: she was reportedly the only girl in her school. Later, further more, she studied at home, tutored by male academic tutors. One of her tutors was K. A. Zellinius, over whom she wrote a funeral poem in 1676. She learned six languages well enough to compose poetry in all of them.

In 1680, she married the miniaturist painter and official Elias Brenner. She became the mother of 15 children, only four of whom survived her. After her marriage, she became the hostess of a literary and artistic circle: among the elite frequenting the home of her and her spouse were the famous amateur actress Aurora Königsmarck, the painter Anna Maria Ehrenstrahl, the poet Johan Runius and the doctor and writer Urban Hjärne, known for his opposition to witch trials.

Sophia Elisabet Brenner was encouraged by her spouse and his artistic friends to continue her studies and her writing during her marriage: she is known to be active as a writer from the year after her marriage until her death: the only older poem known is her funeral poem over her teacher in 1676.

She studied Dutch, French and Italian poetry, and produced poetry in all of these languages except Dutch: her most common language was however German. Her way of writing has been called more personal and concrete than what was common in her time.

The majority of her poems treats weddings, funerals, congratulations and celebrations of public or private individuals, particularly women and children. She did not write for money and directed her poems to friends and benefactors. Among her own models of inspirations were the works of the Danish psalm writer Kingo, and the Swedish poets Samuel Columbus and Petrus Lagerlöf.