Hartmann von Aue (ca. 1160 – ca. 1205) is the earliest of the celebrated triad of von Aue, Wolfram von Eschenbach and Gottfried von Strassburg that is considered to have composed the apex of medieval German literature. All who came after, including the multifaceted Konrad von Würzburg, have been regarded as epigones until recently.
We know little of Hartmann's life. He tells us he is a ministerial, that is, a non-free knight in the permanent service of a noble landholder, and writes proudly of his ability to read, and that implies a Latin-based education, an almost unique accomplishment for a knight at this time. Where he was educated is not known, but it was most likely a monastery school or possibly a cathedral school. We assume he knew French because he uses French sources (Erec,
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Citation: Dobozy, Maria. "Hartmann von Aue". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 05 November 2003 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=5510, accessed 23 November 2024.]
