Oswald von Wolkenstein. Edition und Kommentar, Band 3: 1428 - 1437

The Tyrolean knight Oswald von Wolkenstein (ca 1376/77-1445) is considered to be the most important German composer and poet of the Late Middle Ages. Besides his songs and compositions transmitted in precious parchment manuscripts, more than a 1000 documents bear evidence of Oswald`s chivalrous career, reflecting the medieval life of the lower nobility in all its social, economic and legal details. This exceptional historical attestation came down to us both in family and some 40 other archives spread all over Germany, Austria, Italy and neighbouring countries. Only partly known and published before, this five volume edition aims to present all the material, presenting each document in a totally new edition, following the rules of historic-diplomatic editions, based on new transcriptions and accompanied by detailed source descriptions as well as ample commentaries. Thus, the documents of Wolkenstein`s life will provide hitherto unmatched information about detailed social, economic and legal aspects of chivalrous life in fifteenth century Europe. The written evidence will be of equal importance to linguistic historians for the documents bear witness to the spoken or non poetic idioms in use during the pre-Lutheran period of early modern German in the Austrian-Bavarian regions. Volume I comprises the years 1382 to 1419 bearing evidence of the family background in present day southern Tyrol as well as Wolkenstein`s youth when he tried to succeed as a knight errant seeking to serve wordly or ecclesiastic princes all over Europe. The second volume although confined to only 8 years (1420-1428) contains as much documentation as the first. It provides testimony of the most dramatic period of Wolkenstein`s life that was troubled by various conflicts such as personal feuds, open combats between Oswalds`s allies of the lower nobility against the reigning prince of the county of Tyrol. this finally lead to life threatening imprisonment and political isolation. Volume III covers the years 1428 to 1437. The period that shows how Wolkenstein managed to overcome his troubles establishing himself as a leading member of the Tyrolean nobility. Furthermore, he became a widely renowned legal adviser throughout the Empire as well as a highly decorated counsellor for foreign princes and for the Emperor himself, Sigismund of Luxembourg.