Frauenlob, whose stage name means “praise of ladies”, was a German poet-composer who flourished around the turn of the fourteenth century. Also known as Heinrich von Meissen after his birthplace, a town near the Bohemian border, Frauenlob probably began his career at the court of Prague. He belonged to a group of poets known as
Spruchdichter, or travelling minstrels, who wandered from court to court and town to town in search of fresh audiences and generous patrons. Contemporaries called such performers men who “took
guot[goods] for
êre[honor]”, that is, they received payments in money and kind to praise the nobles who hired them. Hence much of their stock in trade consisted of political songs, celebrating the virtues of princes and commemorating such events as royal weddings,…
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Citation: Newman, Barbara. "Frauenlob". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 07 December 2009 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=12694, accessed 22 November 2024.]
