Portrait of Walther von der Vogelweide. From the Codex Manesse (Folio 124r).

Walther von der Vogelweide (c. 1170 - c. 1230) is the most celebrated of medieval German lyric poets. Download high resolution version (694x967, 240 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Download high resolution version (694x967, 240 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Folio 371r shows Johannes Hadlaub Folio 149v shows a portrait of Wolfram von Eschenbach The Manesse Codex or Grosse Heidelberger Liederhandschrift (Heidelberg, University of Heidelberg Library, Cod. ... Events December 29: Assassination of Thomas Beckett, Archbishop of Canterbury, in Canterbury cathedral Eleanor of Aquitaine leaves the court of Henry II because of a string of infidelities. ... Events Kingdom of Leon unites with the Kingdom of Castile. ... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times. ... Poets are authors of poems, or of other forms of poetry such as dramatic verse. ...

Life history

For all his fame, Walther's name is not found in contemporary records, with the exception of a solitary mention in the travelling accounts of Bishop Wolfger of Erla of the Passaudiocese.."Walthero cantori de Vogelweide pro pellicio v solidos longos"--"To Walther the singer of the Vogelweide five shilling for a fur coat." and the main sources of information about him are his own poems and occasional references by contemporary Minnesingers. It is also clear from the title her (Herr, Sir) these give him, that he was of noble birth; but it is equally clear from his name Vogelweide (= "bird pasture", Latin aviarium, a place were birds were caught) that he didn't belong to the higher nobility, who took their titles from castles or villages, but to the nobility of service (Dienstadel), humble retainers of the great lords, who in wealth and position were wide distant from non-noble free cultivators. A bishop is an ordained member of the Christian clergy who, in certain Christian churches, holds a position of authority. ... Old Town of Passau Passau (Latin: Batavia) is a town in Niederbayern, Eastern Bavaria, Germany, known also as Dreiflüssestadt (the City of three rivers), because the Danube River is joined there by the Inn River from the South, and the Ilz River coming out of the Bavarian Forest to the... Minnesang was the tradition of lyric and song writing in Germany which flourished in the 12th century and continued into the 14th century. ... The Lords and Barons prove their Nobility by hanging their Banners and exposing their Coats-of-arms at the Windows of the Lodge of the Heralds. ... A retainer can be a person being part of the retinue (suite, train) of a dignitary etcetera, either performing personal services such as man servant, pageboy, bodyguard, or rather occasionally in proximity such as a minstrel the part of a contractualy due sum that is payed in advance, while the...

Birthplace

Walther’s birthplace is unknown till today and probably it never will be possible to indicate it exactly because of lack of written documents. There is little chance to derive it from his name. In mediaeval times there were a lot of so-called “Vogelweiden”in the vicinity of castles and towns where hawks were caught for hawking or songbirds for the flats. For this reason it must be assumed that the singer has got his name primarily not for superregional communication, because it could not be used for an unambiguous assignment. (other persons of the high nobility and poets who used to travel with their masters used the unambiguous name of their ownership or their place of origin). Therefore the name was meaningfully only in the near vicinity, where only one Vogelweide existed or it was understood as a metaphoric surname of the singer. (Stage-names were usual for poets of the 12th and 13th century, whereas minnesingers in principle were known by their noble family name which was used to sign documents.)

In 1974 Helmut Hörner localized a farmhouse mentioned 1556 as “Vogelweidhof” in the urbarium of the domain Rappottenstein, at this time belonging to the Amt Traunstein, now within the municipality Schönbach (Lower Austrian Waldviertel = forest quarter), the existence of which was mentioned without comments already 1911 by Alois Plesser, who didn’t know its exact place also. Hörner proved that the still existing farmhouse Weid is indeed the mentioned Vogelweidhof and collected arguments for Walther being born in the Waldviertel which he published 1974 in his book 800 Jahre Traunstein (800 years Traunstein), e.g. that he sais “Ze ôsterriche lernt ich singen unde sagen” (In Austria – at this times only Lower Austria and Vienna – I learned to sing and to speak). A tradition says that Walther, one of the ten Old Masters was a Landherr (land owner) from Bohemia, which is not a contradiction against his origin in the Waldviertel, because in mediaeval times the Waldviertel is denoted now and then as versus boemiam. Powerful support for this theory was given 1977 and 1981 by Bernd Thum (University Karlsruhe, Germany) which makes an origin from the Waldviertel very plausible. Thum started from an analysis of the content of Walther’s work, especially of his crusade appeal, also known as “old age elegy”and concluded that Walther’s birthplace was far away from all travelling routes of this time and within a region where still land was cleared at this time, because the singer pours out his sorrows “Bereitet ist daz velt, verhouwen ist der walt” and that he doesn’t know land and people any more. This only applies to the Waldviertel!

Also Walter Klomfar and the librarian Charlotte Ziegler 1987 came to the conclusion that Walther might be born in the Waldviertel. The starting point also for the study of Klomfar are the above mentioned words of Walther which never were doubted by research but strictly speaking doesn’t say anything about his birthplace. Klomfar points to a historical map which was drawn by monks of the Zwettl monastery in the 17th century on the occasion of a legal dispute. This map show a village Walthers and a field marked “Vogelwaidt” and a related house of the village. The village became deserted, but a well marked on the map could be excavated and reconstructed to prove the quality of the map. Klomfar also could reconstruct partly the ownerships of this region and prove the existence of the (not rare) Christian name Walther in that region.

In contrary Franz Pfeiffer assumed that the singer was born in the Wipptal in South Tyrol, where, not far from the little town of Sterzing on the Eisack, a wood -- called the Vorder- and Hintervogelweide -- exists. This origin would be in contradiction to the fact, that Walther couldn’t visit his homeland for many decades. At this time Tirol was the home of several well-known Minnesingers. The court of Vienna of duke Frederick I of the house of Babenberg had become a centre of poetry and art.

 Tirol was at this time the home of several noted Minnesingers; and the court of Vienna, under the enlightened duke Frederick I of the house of Babenberg, had become a centre of poetry and art. 

Vienna (German: Wien [viːn]; Hungarian: Bécs, Czech: Vídeň, Slovak: Viedeň, Romany Vidnya; Serbian: Beč) is the capital of Austria, and also one of Austrias nine states (Land Wien). ... Frederick I of Austria (born around 1175; died April 16, 1198), was a Duke of Austria from the Babenberg family. ... Originally from Bamberg in Franconia, now northern Bavaria, the Babenbergs or Babenberger ruled Austria as counts of the march and dukes from 976 - 1248, before the rise of the house of Habsburg. ...

Reinmar the Old

Here it was that the young poet learned his craft under the renowned master Reinmar the Old, whose death he afterwards lamented in two of his most beautiful lyrics; and in the open handed duke he found his first patron. This happy period of his life, during which he produced the most charming and spontaneous of his love-lyrics, came to an end with the death of Duke Frederick in 1198. Henceforward Walther was a wanderer from court to court, singing for his lodging and his bread, and ever hoping that some patron would arise to save him from this "juggler's life" (gougel-fuore) and the shame of ever playing the guest. For material success in this profession he was hardly calculated. His criticism of men and manners was scathing; and even when this did not touch his princely patrons, their underlings often took measures to rid themselves of so uncomfortable a censor. Events End of the reign of Emperor Go-Toba of Japan Emperor Tsuchimikado ascends to the throne of Japan January 8 - Pope Innocent III ascends Papal Throne Frederick II, infant son of German King Henry VI, crowned King of Sicily Births August 24 - Alexander II of Scotland (d. ...

Politics

Thus he was forced to leave the court of the generous duke Bernhard of Carinthia (1202-1256); after an experience of the tumultuous household of the landgrave of Thuringia he warns those who have weak ears to give it a wide berth; and after three years at the court of Dietrich I of Meissen (reigned 1195-1221) he complains that he had received for his services neither money nor praise. Walther was, in fact, a man of strong views; and it is this which gives him his main significance in history, as distinguished from his place in literature. From the moment when the death of the emperor Henry VI (1197) opened the fateful struggle between empire and papacy, Walther threw himself ardently into the fray on the side of German independence and unity. Though his religious poems sufficiently prove the sincerity of his Catholicism, he remained to the end of his days opposed to the extreme claims of the popes, whom he attacks with a bitterness which can only be justified by the strength of his patriotic feelings. His political poems begin with an appeal to Germany, written in 1198 at Vienna, against the disruptive ambitions of the princes: "Crown Philip with the Kaiser's crown And bid them vex thy peace no more." Events August 1 - Arthur of Brittany captured in Mirebeau, north of Poitiers Beginning of the Fourth Crusade. ... For broader historical context, see 1250s and 13th century. ... The Free State of Thuringia (German Freistaat Thüringen) lies in central Germany and is among the smaller of the countrys sixteen Bundesländer (federal states), with an area of 16,200 sq. ... Events Priory of St Marys, Bushmead, founded. ... Centuries: 12th century - 13th century - 14th century Decades: 1170s 1180s 1190s 1200s 1210s - 1220s - 1230s 1240s 1250s 1260s 1270s Years: 1216 1217 1218 1219 1220 - 1221 - 1222 1223 1224 1225 1226 See also: 1221 state leaders Events May 13 - End of the reign of Emperor Juntoku of Japan Emperor Chukyo... Portrait of Henry VI from the Codex Manesse (folio 6r). ... Events Amalric II succeeds Henry II of Champagne as king of Jerusalem. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... The Pope is the Catholic Bishop and patriarch of Rome, and head of the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Catholic Churches. ... This article considers Catholicism in the broadest ecclesiastical sense. ... Events End of the reign of Emperor Go-Toba of Japan Emperor Tsuchimikado ascends to the throne of Japan January 8 - Pope Innocent III ascends Papal Throne Frederick II, infant son of German King Henry VI, crowned King of Sicily Births August 24 - Alexander II of Scotland (d. ...

He was present, on September 8, at Philip's coronation at Mainz, and supported him till his victory was assured. After Philip's murder in 1209, he "said and sang" in support of Otto of Brunswick against the papal candidate Frederick of Staufen; and only when Otto's usefulness to Germany had been shattered by the battle of Bouvines (1212) did he turn to the rising star of Frederick II, now the sole representative of German majesty against pope and princes. September 8 is the 251st day of the year (252nd in leap years). ... Mainz (French: Mayence) is a city in Germany and the capital of the German federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate. ... Events Albigensian Crusade against Cathars (1209-1218) the Franciscans are founded. ... Frederick II (left) meets al-Kamil (right). ... The Battle of Bouvines, July 27, 1214, was the first great international conflict of alliances among national forces in Europe. ... Events The first Great Fire of London burns most of the city to the ground Battle of Navas de Tolosa Childrens crusade Crusaders push the Muslims out of northern Spain In Japan, Kamo no Chōmei writes the Hōjōki, one of the great works of classical Japanese... Frederick II (left) meets al-Kamil (right). ... The Pope (from Greek: pappas, father; from Latin: papa, Papa, father) is the successor of St. ...

From the new emperor his genius and his zeal for the empire at last received recognition; and a small fief in Franconia was bestowed upon him, which, though he complained that its value was little, gave him the home and the fixed position he had so long desired. That Frederick gave him an even more signal mark of his favour by making him the tutor of his son Henry (VII), King of the Romans, is more than doubtful. The fact, in itself highly improbable, rests only upon the evidence of a single poem, which can also be interpreted otherwise. Walther's restless spirit did not suffer him to remain long on his new property. The Franconian Rake is originally is a heraldic symbol of the bishops of Würzburg, who - though nominally Dukes of Franconia - only ruled in parts of Franconia. ... This article refers to the King of the Romans Henry (VII) of the House of Hohenstaufen. ...

Later years

In 1217 he was once more at Vienna, and again in 1219 after the return of Duke Leopold VI from the crusade. About 1224 he seems to have settled on his fief near Würzburg. He was active in urging the German princes to take part in the crusade of 1228, and may have accompanied the crusading army at least as far as his native Tirol. In a beautiful and pathetic poem he paints the change that had come over the scenes of his childhood and made his life seem a thing dreamed. He died about 1230, and was buried at Würzburg, after leaving directions, according to the story, that the birds were to be fed at his tomb daily. The original gravestone with its Latin inscription has disappeared; but in 1843 a new monument was erected over the spot, called Lusamgärtchen (Lusam garden), today cornered in between the two major churches of the city. There is also a fine statue of the poet at Bozen-Bolzano, unveiled in 1877. Events April 9 - Peter of Courtenay crowned emperor of the Latin Empire of Constantinople at Rome, by Pope Honorius III May 20 - First Barons War, royalist victory at Lincoln. ... // Events Saint Francis of Assisi introduces Catholicism into Egypt, during the Fifth Crusade The Flag of Denmark fell from the sky during the Battle of Lyndanisse Ongoing events Fifth Crusade (1217-1221) Births Christopher I of Denmark (died 1259) Frederick II of Austria (died 1246) Guillaume de Gisors, supposedly the... Leopold VI, the Glorious (born 1176; died July 28, 1230 in San Germano), from the House of Babenberg, was Duke of Austria from 1198 to 1230 and of Styria from 1194 to 1230. ... This article is about the medieval crusades. ... Events Foundation of the University of Naples Livonian Brothers of the Sword conquers Latgallians Births Deaths Monarchs/Presidents Aragon - James I King of Aragon and count of Barcelona (reigned from 1213 to 1276) Castile - Ferdinand III, the Saint King of Castile and Leon (reigned from 1217 to 1252) Holy See... The title of this article contains the character ü. Where that letter is unavailable or undesired, the name may be represented as Wurzburg or Wuerzburg. ... Events The Sixth Crusade is launched by Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor, after delays due to sickness and an excommunication from Pope Gregory IX. Conrad IV of Germany becomes titular King of Jerusalem, with Frederick II as regent. ... Events Kingdom of Leon unites with the Kingdom of Castile. ... Latin is an ancient Indo-European language originally spoken in the region around Rome called Latium. ... 1843 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Coat of Arms Bolzano (Italian) or Bozen (German) is a city in the Trentino-South Tyrol (It. ... 1877 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ...

Assessment

Historically interesting as Walther's political verses are, their merit has been not a little exaggerated by many 19th and early 20th century German critics, who saw their own imperial aspirations and anti-papal prejudices reflected in this patriotic poet of the middle ages. Usually considered to be of more lasting value are his lyrics, mainly dealing with love, which led his contemporaries to hail him as their master in song (unsers sanges meister). He is of course uneven. At his worst he does not rise above the tiresome conventionalities of his school. At his best he shows a spontaneity, a charm and a facility which his rivals sought in vain to emulate. His earlier lyrics are full of the joy of life, of feeling for nature and of the glory of love. Greatly daring, he even rescues love from the convention which had made it the prerogative of the nobly born, contrasts the titles "woman" (wip) and "lady" (frouwe) to the disadvantage of the latter, and puts the most beautiful of his lyrics—Unter der linden—into the mouth of a simple girl. A certain seriousness, which is apparent under the joyousness of his earlier work, grew on him with years. Religious and didactic poems become more frequent; and his verses in praise of love turn at times to a protest against the laxer standards of an age demoralized by political unrest. Throughout his attitude is regarded as healthy and sane. He preaches the crusade; but at the same time he suggests the virtue of toleration, pointing out that in the worship of God, "Christians, Jews and heathen all agree." Eros God and symbol of love since antiquity Love has several different meanings in English, from something that gives a little pleasure (I loved that meal) to something one would die for (patriotism, pairbonding). ... As a noun, Christian is an appellation and moniker deriving from the appellation Christ, which many people associate exclusively with Jesus of Nazareth. ... Heathen is a term used both to describe a person who does not follow an organized religion, and also a modern practitioner of Heathenry. ...

He fulminates against "false love"; but pours scorn on those who maintain that "love is sin." In an age of monastic ideals and loose morality there was nothing commonplace in the simple lines in which he sums up the inspiring principle of chivalry at its best: "Swer guotes wibes liebe hat Der schamt sich ieder missetat."

Altogether Walther's poems give us the picture not only of a great artistic genius, but of a strenuous, passionate, very human and very lovable character.

Works

• Der Azeton - eLibrary Austria (elib austria etxt in German)
• Der Bognerton - eLibrary Austria (elib austria etxt in German)
• Der Erste Phillipston - eLibrary Austria (elib austria etxt in German)
• Der Keiser als Spileman - eLibrary Austria (elib austria etxt in German)
• Der Kaiser Friedrichs und Engelbertston - eLibrary Austria (elib austria etxt in German)
• Der Koenig Friedrichston - eLibrary Austria (elib austria etxt in German)
• Der Koenig Heinrichston - eLibrary Austria (elib austria etxt in German)
• Der Leich - eLibrary Austria (elib austria etxt in German)
• Der Leopoldston - eLibrary Austria (elib austria etxt in German)
• Der Meisnerton - eLibrary Austria (elib austria etxt in German)
• Der Ottenton - eLibrary Austria (elib austria etxt in German)
• Der Reichston um 1200 - eLibrary Austria (elib austria etxt in German)
• Der Unmutston - eLibrary Austria (elib austria etxt in German)
• Der Wiener Hofton - eLibrary Austria (elib austria etxt in German)
• Der Zweite Phillipston - eLibrary Austria (elib austria etxt in German)
• Fruehe Lieder bis 1198 - eLibrary Austria (elib austria etxt in German)
• Ich sach mit mînen ougen - eLibrary Austria (elib austria etxt in German)
• Ich saz ûf einem Steine - eLibrary Austria (elib austria etxt in German)
• Ir sult sprechen willekomen - eLibrary Austria (elib austria etxt in German)
• Lieder bis 1203 - eLibrary Austria (elib austria etxt in German)
• Lieder bis 1205 - eLibrary Austria (elib austria etxt in German)
• Lieder bis 1220 - eLibrary Austria (elib austria etxt in German)
• Lieder der neuen Minne - eLibrary Austria (elib austria etxt in German)
• Maedchenlieder - eLibrary Austria (elib austria etxt in German)
• Spaete Lieder - eLibrary Austria (elib austria etxt in German)

Sources

Modern sources

• Graeme Dunphy (trans.). Walther von der Vogelweide - selected poems

Older sources

• The Gedichte were edited by Karl Lachmann (1827). This edition of the great scholar was re-edited by M. Haupt (3rd ed., 1853).
• Walther v. d. Vogelweide, edited by Franz Pfeiffer, with introduction and notes (4th edition, by Karl Bartsch, Leipzig, 1873). Glossarium zu d. Gedichten Walther's, nebste. Reimverzeichnis, by CA Hornig (Quedlinburg, 1844).
• There are translations into modern German by B Obermann (1886), and into English verse Selected poems of Walter van der Vogelweide by W Alison Phillips, with introduction and notes (London, 1896).
• The poem Unter der Linden, not included in the latter, was freely translated by TL Beddoes (Works, 1890), more closely by WA Phillips in the Nineteenth Century for July 1896 (ccxxxiii. p. 70).
• Leben u. Dichten Walthers von der Vogelweide, by Wilhelm Wilmanns (Bonn, 1882), is a valuable critical study of the poet's life and works.

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Walther von der Vogelweide

This article incorporates text from the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica, which is in the public domain. Karl Konrad Friedrich Wilhelm Lachmann (March 4, 1793 - March 13, 1851), was a German philologist and critic. ... Moritz Haupt (July 27, 1808 - February 5, 1874), was a German philologist. ... Image File history File links Commons-logo. ... The Wikimedia Commons (also called Commons or Wikicommons) is a repository of free content images, sound and other multimedia files. ... Supporters contend that the Eleventh Edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica (1910-1911) represents the sum of human knowledge at the beginning of the 20th century; indeed, it was advertised as such. ... The public domain comprises the body of all creative works and other knowledge—writing, artwork, music, science, inventions, and others—in which no person or organization has any proprietary interest. ...