Minnesang

Minnesang is a medieval German lyric poetry and song tradition centered on Minne, or courtly love, and the chivalric code of the noble class. It developed in the German-speaking lands from roughly the second half of the 12th century and flourished through the 13th century, with some works surviving into the early 14th century. The tradition arose at noble courts and was influenced by the Occitan troubadours as well as earlier vernacular lyric forms. Minnesänger, the composers and performers, typically wrote in Middle High German and performed their pieces at courts or in urban song gatherings, often with instruments such as the lute or vielle.

The songs are mainly lyric and often in strophic form, expressing desire for an idealized lady, courtesy, fidelity, and the etiquette of love as part of aristocratic culture. The beloved is usually a noble woman, unattainable or distant, and the poems explore longing, secrecy, and the moral dimensions of knightly love.

Notable figures include Walther von der Vogelweide, Reinmar von Hagenau, Heinrich von Morungen, and Wolfram von Eschenbach, among others. Walther’s work, in particular, helped establish the prestige of the Minnesang and influenced later German lyric.

Decline came in the later 14th century as urban Meistersang and other literary forms emerged; Minnesang as a distinct courtly lyric tradition gradually faded, though it left a lasting imprint on German poetry and the idea of courtly love.