Wolfram, von Eschenbach (1170-1220)
Remnants of a manuscript of the Willehalm by Wolfram von Eschenbach. In August 1928, Hans Bloesch detached it from codex Mss.h.h.XIV.144.
Online Since: 06/14/2018
- Bloesch, Hans (Librarian) | Wolfram, von Eschenbach (Author) Found in: Standard description
The so-called "Berner Parzival" is the last dated manuscript of Wolfram von Eschenbach's epic poem about the Holy Grail, created between 1200 and 1210; moreover, this textual witness is adorned with illustrations. Presumably the Bernese merchant Jörg Friburger commissioned the manuscript in 1467 from the scribe Johann Stemhein of Konstanz, who edited and stylistically modernized the text of his model to match the tastes of a late medieval urban public. In addition, he gave directions for illustrations, which were later executed by a painter who created 28 colored pen and ink drawings. The further history of this manuscript,which today consists of 180 leaves, is unknown; it must, however, have reached the Bernese municipal library in the early years of the 19th century, where it is attested at least since 1816.
Online Since: 09/26/2017
- Guilelmus, Arvernus (Author) | Lindt, Johann (Restorer) | Stos, Rolet (Bookbinder) | Wolfram, von Eschenbach (Author) Found in: Standard description
The verse narrative Willehalm by Wolfram von Eschenbach - one of the most important German authors of the Middle Ages - is a historical-legendary novel based on French heroic poems ("chansons de geste"). It tells the love story of Willehalm, Count of Toulouse, and Arabel, daughter of a Muslim king, and reflects the history of the conflict between these two medieval cultures. Since the 1360s it has been integrated into a unique cycle, together with the Arabel by Ulrich von dem Türlin, which tells the backstory, and the Rennewart, which tells the continuation. More than ten manuscripts and numerous fragments of this cycle have survived.
Online Since: 06/18/2020
- Bodmer, Martin (Former possessor) | Eszterházy, Károly (Former possessor) | Ulrich, von dem Türlin (Author) | Ulrich, von Türheim (Author) | Wolfram, von Eschenbach (Author) Found in: Standard description
This paper manuscript contains three rare prose adaptations of verse epics in High Alemannic. In addition to the Zürcher Buch vom Heilgen Karl, which connects Charlemagne's biography with the foundation legend of the Zurich Cathedral, and the Heroic tale Willehalm, the codex has a Lob eines alten Mannes auf die Liebe seiner Frau, which consists of three excerpts from the first translation of Niklas von Wyle. While the first two works are each witnessed by two other manuscripts, the last text of this compilation appears only in this manuscript. The mention of a scribe named Heirich on f. 69va dates this part to 1483.
Online Since: 12/11/2024
- Ulrich, von dem Türlin (Author) | Ulrich, von Türheim (Author) | Wolfram, von Eschenbach (Author) Found in: Standard description
This manuscript (also called the “St. Galler Epenhandschrift”) is written in two columns in a very uniform manner by three anonymous primary scribes and four secondary scribes; it offers a fine version of a unique collection of Middle High German heroic and knightly poetry. It contains “Parzival” (pp. 5−288; version D) by Wolfram von Eschenbach, the Song of the Nibelungs (pp. 291−416; version B) with the following lament (pp. 416−451; version B), the poem “Karl der Grosse” (pp. 452−558; version C) by der Stricker, the verse narrative “Willehalm” (pp. 561−691; version G) by Wolfram von Eschenbach, as well as five sung gnomic verses by Friedrich von Sonnenburg (p. 693; version G). Until 1768, when the manuscript was purchased by the Monastery of St. Gall, this volume certainly also contained fragments of the epic poems “Die Kindheit Jesu” by Konrad von Fussesbrunnen and Unser vrouwen hinvart by Konrad von Heimesfurt. These two works were removed from the manuscript of epic poems before 1820 and are now held in the Staatsbibliothek Preussischer Kulturbesitz in Berlin (mgf 1021) and the Badische Landesbibliothek in Karlsruhe (Cod. K 2037), respectively. The manuscript, illustrated with 78 uniformly executed initials by unknown artists from the miniature painting school of Padua, was commissioned by a wealthy client who was interested in Middle High German epic poems. The first owner known by name was the Swiss polymath and universal scholar Aegidius Tschudi (1505−1572) from Glarus, whose estate of manuscripts the Monastery of St. Gall was able to acquire in 1768.
Online Since: 10/08/2015
- Friedrich, von Sonnenburg (Author) | Stricker, Der (Author) | Tschudi, Aegidius (Former possessor) | Wolfram, von Eschenbach (Author)