Ougenweide is a progressive rock

Progressive rock

Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...

 band from Germany. They are notable for being pioneers of the medieval folk rock

Medieval folk rock

Medieval folk rock, medieval rock or medieval folk is a musical sub-genre that emerged in the early 1970s in England and Germany which combined elements of early music with rock music. It grew out of the electric folk and progressive folk movements of the later 1960s...

 subgenre. The name comes from Middle High German

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...

 ougenweide (Augenweide - feast for the eyes).

The beginning

Ougenweide was founded in spring 1970 in Hamburg

Hamburg

-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...

 as a folk rock

Folk rock

Folk rock is a musical genre combining elements of folk music and rock music. In its earliest and narrowest sense, the term referred to a genre that arose in the United States and the UK around the mid-1960s...

 band. The band is named after a song by Neidhart von Reuental

Neidhart von Reuental

Neidhart von Reuental was one of the most famous German minnesingers. He was probably active in Bavaria and then is known to have been a singer at the court of Friedrich II in Vienna...

, the first joint composition by Ougenweide. From the beginning the band wanted to set to music old poems and songs, but they never completely restricted themselves to the Medieval. The band was influenced by the Rock music scene of Hamburg of the 1960s.

Successful years

The second album of Ougenweide All die weil ich mag from 1974 used texts from the Merseburg Incantations

Merseburg Incantations

The Merseburg Incantations are two medieval magic spells, charms or incantations, written in Old High German. They are the only known examples of Germanic pagan belief preserved in this language...

. This sound recording of the Merseburger Zaubersprüche was covered later by many bands, including the medieval metal group In Extremo

In Extremo

In Extremo is a German medieval metal band originating from Berlin. The band's musical style combines metal with medieval traditional songs, blending the sound of the standard rock/metal instruments with historical instruments...

. The music is often incorrectly thought to originate in the Middle Ages, but goes back to Ougenweide. They also used texts or text-fragments by Walther von der Vogelweide

Walther von der Vogelweide

Walther von der Vogelweide is the most celebrated of the Middle High German lyric poets.-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 Passau diocese:...

, Heinrich von Mügeln and Johann Wolfgang Goethe.
1975 Ougenweide appeared on stage with Fairport Convention

Fairport Convention

Fairport Convention are an English folk rock and later electric folk band, formed in 1967 who are still recording and touring today. They are widely regarded as the most important single group in the English folk rock movement...

, Steeleye Span

Steeleye Span

Steeleye Span are an English folk-rock band, formed in 1969 and remaining active today. Along with Fairport Convention they are amongst the best known acts of the British folk revival, and were among the most commercially successful, thanks to their hit singles "Gaudete" and "All Around My Hat"....

, Planxty

Planxty

Planxty is an Irish folk music band formed in the 1970s, consisting initially of Christy Moore , Dónal Lunny , Andy Irvine , and Liam O'Flynn...

, Amazing Blondel

Amazing Blondel

Amazing Blondel are an English acoustic progressive folk band, consisting of Eddie Baird, John Gladwin, and Terry Wincott. They released a number of LPs for Island Records in the early 1970s...

, Alan Stivell

Alan Stivell

Alan Stivell is a Breton musician and singer, recording artist and master of the celtic harp who from the early 1970s revived global interest in the Celtic harp and Celtic music as part of world music.- Background: learning Breton music and culture :Alan was born in the Auvergnat town of Riom...

 and Konstantin Wecker

Konstantin Wecker

Konstantin Alexander Wecker is one of the best-known German singer-songwriters ; he also works as a composer, author, and actor.- Life and work :...

. They worked together with Peter Rühmkorf

Peter Rühmkorf

Peter Rühmkorf was a German writer who significantly influenced German post-war literature....

for a film about the life of Walther von der Vogelweide.

Studio albums

• Ougenweide, 1973
• All die weil ich mag, 1974
• Ohrenschmaus, 1976
• Eulenspiegel, 1976
• Frÿheit, 1978
• Ousflug, 1979
• Ja-Markt, 1980
• Noch aber ist April, 1981
• Sol, 1996
• Herzsprung, 2010

Live albums

• Ungezwungen, 1977, 2007
• Wol mich der Stunde, 2004
• Ouwe war, 2005

Compilations

• Liederbuch Ougenweide, 1979, 1988
• Lieder aus 9 Jahrhunderten, 1983
• Ougenweide / All die weil ich mag, 2006
• Ohrenschmaus / Eulenspiegel, 2006
• Walther von der Vogelweide - Saget mir ieman: waz ist Minne?, 2007
• Frÿheit / Ousflug, 2007
• Ja-Markt / Noch aber ist April, 2007