Barbara Kluntz (also known as "Tailor Barbie" or "Maiden Kluntz") came to the world the daughter of a master tailor from Ulm, Germany in 1661. Not much is not known about her early years and education.
In 1704 at the age of 43 years she entered the "Highly Noble Assemblage Chapter", which had been founded in the early 12th century.
The chapter was an alternative way of life to the usual sphere of "children-kitchen-church" for unmarried nobles, later for middle-class women as well. Living in the chapter was also attractive because unlike monasteries contact with the family did not have to be severed.
When she entered the chapter, she could already play the piano and had a rudimentary musical education. As the lady of the chapter she could substantiate her love for music by performing compositions of her own and from others along with giving music lessons ("piano striking") to the daughters (and sons?) of upper-class status.
Kluntz authored three choral books two of which are stored in the Ulm City Archive. Other compositions have not survived. In addition to composing she also wrote numerous poems of primarily religious content and cultivated contacts with scholars and composers at home and abroad.
She died 1730 in Ulm.
