Weimar Song Book

The once independent individual parts, fascicles, of this miscellany were all printed between 1520 and 1540 by three Nuremberg printers
They contain a rich mixture of folkloric German songs by various male poets and an anonymous female poet, referring to herself as “Junckfrewlein”
An unknown person had the 71 musical prints bound into a composite volume sometime between the 16th and 18th centuries

Weimar Song Book

14, 6 : 60 [e] Herzogin Anna Amalia Bibliothek (Weimar, Germany)

Description

Weimar Song Book

The so-called Weimar Song Book is an extremely fascinating miscellany or fascicle book from the rich collection of the Herzogin Anna Amalia Bibliothek in Weimar. It is composed of no less than 71 fascicles, or individual parts, each of which was printed in Nuremberg between 1520 and 1540 by the leading printers of the imperial city. Of particular note is Kunigunde Hergotin, who went down in history as one of Nuremberg's first independent female printers and was responsible for a large part of the 71 prints. Sometime between the 16th and 18th centuries, they were all bound together by an unknown person into the present small volume, which came to Weimar in 1803. However, the fascicles are united not only by their binding and Nuremberg's printing art, but above all by their content: folkloric songs by various poets and an anonymous poetess who were active in the 15th and 16th centuries. The repertoire spans various genres, from Meisterlieder (“master songs”) to Bergreihen (“mountain songs”). They are accompanied by dozens of rustic woodcuts that wonderfully capture the mood of the old pieces and also make the codex a visual gem.

Codicology

Alternative Titles: Bergkreien. Etliche Schöne gesenge/ newlich zusamen gebracht/ gemehret vnd gebessert
Weimarer Liederbuch
Type: Print on paper
Size / Format: 751 pages / 18.7 × 15.0 cm
Origin: Germany
Date: Between 1520 and 1540
Epochs: Late Middle Ages Onwards
Style: Renaissance
Genre: Song Books
Language: German
Illustrations: Numerous woodcuts, most of them title woodcuts from the respective fascicles
Content: Miscellany of 71 separate musical prints or fascicles, including 58 German Bergreihen ("mountain songs")
Artist / School: Hans Back (poet)
Balthasar von Heilbronn (poet)
Hans Folz (poet)
Jörg Graff (poet)
Endres Gruber (poet)
Ludwig Heilmann (poet)
Martin Maier (poet)
Heinrich Müller (poet)
Johannes Ober (poet)
Martin Schleich (poet)
Hans Witzstat (poet)
Muskatblüt (poet)
Lienhart Nunnenpeck (poet)
Hans Sachs (poet)
Johannes Kolroß (poet)
Hans Heselloher (poet)
Kunigunde Hergotin (printer)
Hans Guldenmund (printer)
Jobst Gutknecht (printer)

Available facsimile editions:

Detail Picture

Weimar Song Book

Lance Jousting

The joust, also known as tilt, is today an iconic symbol of medieval knighthood – and not without reason. Developed as combat training, this form of martial game on horseback became extremely popular in the 12th century as part of public knight tournaments, providing entertainment for the people and the nobility. Some knights even earned part of their livelihood from jousting, as the defeated knight's entire equipment often went to the victorious and thus considerably richer knight. No wonder, then, that impressive knightly tournaments were extremely popular motifs in literature, poetry, and Minne.

Single Page

Weimar Song Book

Bergreihen: Etliche Schöne Gesänge

This wonderful title page prefaces a collection of 58 so-called Bergreihen. These are miners' songs, which were often danced to in the Middle Ages, sing about the everyday experiences of the simple people who lived and worked in the mountains.

The central title vignette is framed by a wide border composed of typical Renaissance motifs such as columns, two cherubs, and plants adorned with ribbons. At the bottom, a bell adds alpine charm. The fascicle was created in 1537 in the printing workshop of Kunigunde Hergotin (before 1520–1547) – one of Nuremberg's first independent female printers. Song books were her specialty, along with Reformation writings.

Facsimile Editions

#1 Das Weimarer Liederbuch. Schätzbare Sammlung alter Volkslieder.

Edition Leipzig – Leipzig, 1976

Publisher: Edition Leipzig – Leipzig, 1976

Binding: Brown leather binding with three raised bands. Comes in a protective case with motifs from the manuscript on the front cover.

Commentary: 1 volume (56 pp.) by Konrad Kratzsch
Language: German

Integrated as an epilogue

1 volume: Exact reproduction of the original document (extent, color and size) Reproduction of the entire original document as detailed as possible (scope, format, colors). The binding may not correspond to the original or current document binding.

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Weimar Song Book

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Codicology

Weimar Song Book

Lance Jousting

Weimar Song Book

Bergreihen: Etliche Schöne Gesänge

#1 Das Weimarer Liederbuch. Schätzbare Sammlung alter Volkslieder.

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