Minnesang

The name derives from minne, the Middle High German word for love, as that was Minnesang's main subject.

The Minnesänger are comparable to the Occitan troubadours and northern French trouvères, but they are "an original German contribution to courtly lyric.

Some clearly belonged to the higher nobility – the 14th-century Codex Manesse includes songs by dukes, counts, kings, and the Emperor Henry VI.

Broadly speaking, the Minnesänger were writing and performing for their own social class at court, and should be thought of as courtiers rather than professional hired musicians.

For example, Friedrich von Hausen's "Ich denke underwilen" is regarded as a contrafactum of Guiot de Provins's "Ma joie premeraine".

The most notable of these later Minnesänger, Neidhart von Reuental introduces characters from lower social classes and often aims for humorous effects.

The following love poem, of unknown authorship, is found in a Latin codex of the 12th century from the Tegernsee Abbey.

The standard collections are 12th and early 13th century (up to Reinmar von Hagenau): 13th century (after Walther von der Vogelweide): 14th and 15th centuries There are many published selections with Modern German translation, such as Individual Minnesänger The two Minnesänger with the largest repertoires, Walther and Neidhart, are not represented in the standard collections, but have editions devoted solely to their works, such as: For these and some other major Minnesänger (e.g. Morungen, Reinmar, Oswald von Wolkenstein) there are editions with parallel Modern German translation.