Heinrich Frauenlob
Encyclopedia
Heinrich Frauenlob sometimes known as Henry of Meissen (Heinrich von Meißen), was a Middle High German
poet
and minnesinger. The nickname Frauenlob (MHG
Frouwenlop) means "praise of women" or "praise of Our Lady".
. He had great musical talents, and he held court positions in Prague
. After several years wandering as a minstrel
, he established the first school of the meistersinger
s at Mainz
.
The women of Mainz are said to have carried his bier
to the cathedral
in appreciation of his life-long chivalrous
devotion to their sex. His tomb was restored in 1783 by women during the Werther
period of German literature
, and the women of Mainz erected a monument to his memory near his tomb in 1842.
, and the final song of songs. He also wrote Alle Freude verlässt mich, which was later adopted by Záviš von Zap. One of his works, the Cantica Canticorum, has appeared in English. Ettmüller
published an edition of his poems in 1843.
Middle High German
Middle High German , abbreviated MHG , is the term used for the period in the history of the German language between 1050 and 1350. It is preceded by Old High German and followed by Early New High German...
poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
and minnesinger. The nickname Frauenlob (MHG
Middle High German
Middle High German , abbreviated MHG , is the term used for the period in the history of the German language between 1050 and 1350. It is preceded by Old High German and followed by Early New High German...
Frouwenlop) means "praise of women" or "praise of Our Lady".
Biography
He was born in MeissenMeissen
Meissen is a town of approximately 30,000 about northwest of Dresden on both banks of the Elbe river in the Free State of Saxony, in eastern Germany. Meissen is the home of Meissen porcelain, the Albrechtsburg castle, the Gothic Meissen Cathedral and the Meissen Frauenkirche...
. He had great musical talents, and he held court positions in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
. After several years wandering as a minstrel
Minstrel
A minstrel was a medieval European bard who performed songs whose lyrics told stories of distant places or of existing or imaginary historical events. Although minstrels created their own tales, often they would memorize and embellish the works of others. Frequently they were retained by royalty...
, he established the first school of the meistersinger
Meistersinger
A Meistersinger was a member of a German guild for lyric poetry, composition and unaccompanied art song of the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries. The Meistersingers were drawn from middle class males for the most part.-Guilds:...
s at Mainz
Mainz
Mainz under the Holy Roman Empire, and previously was a Roman fort city which commanded the west bank of the Rhine and formed part of the northernmost frontier of the Roman Empire...
.
The women of Mainz are said to have carried his bier
Bier
A bier is a stand on which a corpse, coffin or casket containing a corpse, is placed to lie in state or to be carried to the grave.In Christian burial, the bier is often placed in the centre of the nave with candles surrounding it, and remains in place during the funeral.The bier is a flat frame,...
to the cathedral
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
in appreciation of his life-long chivalrous
Chivalry
Chivalry is a term related to the medieval institution of knighthood which has an aristocratic military origin of individual training and service to others. Chivalry was also the term used to refer to a group of mounted men-at-arms as well as to martial valour...
devotion to their sex. His tomb was restored in 1783 by women during the Werther
The Sorrows of Young Werther
The Sorrows of Young Werther is an epistolary and loosely autobiographical novel by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, first published in 1774; a revised edition of the novel was published in 1787...
period of German literature
German literature
German literature comprises those literary texts written in the German language. This includes literature written in Germany, Austria, the German part of Switzerland, and to a lesser extent works of the German diaspora. German literature of the modern period is mostly in Standard German, but there...
, and the women of Mainz erected a monument to his memory near his tomb in 1842.
Works
Around 1290 Frauenlob wrote Frauenleich, a song about the woman of the ApocalypseApocalypse
An Apocalypse is a disclosure of something hidden from the majority of mankind in an era dominated by falsehood and misconception, i.e. the veil to be lifted. The Apocalypse of John is the Book of Revelation, the last book of the New Testament...
, and the final song of songs. He also wrote Alle Freude verlässt mich, which was later adopted by Záviš von Zap. One of his works, the Cantica Canticorum, has appeared in English. Ettmüller
Ernst Moritz Ludwig Ettmüller
Ernst Moritz Ludwig Ettmüller , German philologist, was born at Gersdorf near Löbau, in Saxony.He was privately educated by his father, the Protestant pastor of the village, entered the gymnasium at Zittau in 1816 and studied from 1823 to 1826 at the university of Leipzig...
published an edition of his poems in 1843.