The Codex Manesse

Anna Kathrin Bleuler

The Heidelberg University Library is home to the Codex Manesse, probably the most famous and extensive pageantry manuscript of its time. This richly illustrated songbook is not only one of the crown jewels of medieval book illumination, but, more importantly, it’s a unique testimony to the wealth of Middle High German poetry from the time of Barbarossa in the 12th century to the beginning of the 14th century. Literary scholar Anna Kathrin Bleuler provides lavish descriptions of the content and history of the Codex that make this treasure accessible to a broad audience. She sheds light on the characteristics of the author’s illustrations and presents an overview of the various forms of medieval minstrelsy.