Love Potions and Plague Amulets
Spice plants had an importance in popular public beliefs which extended far above their pharmaceutical qualities. Nutmeg and mace belonged to those spices which were known for hundreds of years to containaphrodisiac properties, the reason why Europeans wore love charms.As rare valuable objects they were often laid at the entrance to princely art and rarity chambers. Cloves also had a far-reaching symbolic meaning. At the time of the plague they were known as an
effective remedy against the infection. They were also renowned for hundreds of years as an effective relief for toothache. As this spice looks like a nail – the name “clove” derives from Latin clavus “nail” – it was a Christian symbol for Christ nailed to the crucifix.
The German Museum situated amidst the Isar river is a place worthy for exhibiting spices and their history because for hundreds of years the big rafts carrying far eastern spice imports northwards from Venice over the Alps, stopped there. Cloves, nutmeg and mace, pepper and other exotic spices
were unloaded in Munich’s raft harbour and found their way into Bavarian sausage seasonings. Munich’s Weisswurst (white sausage) would be unthinkable today without mace, an otherwise not too well- known spice.
