Jutta of Kulmsee

Jutta of Kulmsee (also called Judith and Otta.), was a German member of the Third Order of Saint Francis.

Life Birth Jutta was born in Sangerhausen, Germany, southwest of Eiseleben, to the noble family of Sangerhausen, who were related to the dukes of Brunswick. Marriage and children At the age of fifteen, Jutta married a nobleman with whom she had children. Her Christian neighbors reported witnessing her "raised high in the air in the fervor of her devotion”, like she was upheld by angels. She was called "the first Prussian anchoress". There are few records of Jutta's life because anchoritic life was unusual outside of southwest Germany, although her biography appears in the Acta Sanctorum.

According to scholar Michelle Sauer, Jutta's life "bore surprising resemblance" to Dorothy of Montau, another Prussian anchoress who lived later, during the 14th century. Jutta is represented in a grey habit with long sleeves, with a black strap or chord tied around her waist and neck, and is often depicted alongside Dorothea of Montau. As Sauer put it, "Jutta claimed only three things could result in a close personal relationship with God: painful sickness, exile from home, and voluntary poverty". Her feast day is May 5.