Middle High German Spruchdichtung - Early Meistersang

Middle High German Spruchdichtung – Early Meistersang

The contents of this outstandingly important manuscript for the history of the German language and Spruchdichtung in particular have been dated to between 1250 and 1380, judging by the written evidence, and localized thanks to the dialectical markers in the language. Judging by the abrasions on the outer leaves of Fascicle I, it remained as a set of loose leaves for a long time before it was bound with Fascicle II during the 14th century. The last few pages in Fascicle III, a collection referred to as “Apologetics and Praise of Mary”, was appended thereafter. An old record of the manuscript from 1556/59 refers to it as Gaistliche vnd allte Lieder auf Perment geschrieben. The outstanding importance of this manuscript, which makes it unique for the transmission of Middle High German poetry, is based on the corpus of poetry by Reinmar von Zweter (ca. 1200 – after 1248), which in its present form proves to be a factually and chronologically ordered collection that was created during the poet's lifetime.

A Coveted Unicum

The portrait of Ottheinrich, Elector Palatine (1502–59), confirms that it was owned by the famous founder of the Bibliotheca Palatina, the most important library of the German Renaissance and one that supposedly rivalled that of the Pope. However, this debate was put to an end in the course of the 30 Years’ War: Heidelberg was sacked in 1622 by forces of the Catholic League and the entire library was taken as war booty to be gifted by Maximilian I of Bavaria (1573–1651) to the Bibliotheca Apostolica Vaticana in 1623. This historic collection of Spruchdichtung has remained in Rome ever since.