Manesse : "Die Manessesche Liederhandschrift", 1300-1315
was graciously provided by the University of Heidelberg, Germany. The images are available for scientific and academic research purposes only and remain the property of the University of Heidelberg. To view the presentation of the Manesse plates from the University of Heidelberg, click on the image on the lower right or the university's coat of arms on the left. Any desire to publish this material elsewhere or for profit must be approved by the university. For more information, contact the university directly at Universitätsbibliothek Heidelberg.
Recently, the Universitätsbibliothek Heidelberg has completed the entire Manesse manuscript containing more than 422 plates. The digital presentation of the plates appear to be digitally enhanced resulting in fantastic colour renderings of the plates. Click Cod. Pal. germ. 848 - Codex Manesse to view the online manuscript.
Backgrounder
Manessesche Liederhandschrift or the Manessesche song handwriting originated in in the first quarter 14th Century in the area of Zurich. It is spreading unit of a set of aristocrat and higher Klerus, who had put themselves the ambitious target to create as complete a collection of the minnesaenger and their poems as possible between 1160/70 and 1330. To this circle also the Mr. Manesse belonged, from whom the handwriting received its name. It is well-known also under " the name large Heidelberger " song handwriting.
Beside the poems of the minnesaenger also illustrations of the respective singer in job were given, which represents the artist in an environment characterizing him. In the following one these pictures are to be regarded more exactly detached by the Minnesang than source for mode, preparation technique and utensils.
The miniatures one-eat by four different painters and their assistants were painted. The major part (110 figures) was created by the so-called basic stick painter between approx. 1300 and 1315. These pictures are characterized by a special uniformity and by for the typical strong, absolute colours. Also the frameworks of the figures are uniformly in the colours zinnober and magenta, blue, green and gold held and wise mostly a touching or a lozenge examination up. The pictures of the basic stick painter represent mode and preparation technique, how them were usual since approx. 1230. Therefore these figures can be along-used also for this time as source well.
The supplement painters, who created the paintings to approx. 1330 still altogether created 27 miniatures, which are somewhat " more modern " regarding mode and armament. If the basic stick painter illustrated excluding chain shirts, then we here already find disk sections (e.g. board 73). Also otherwise the pictures of the supplement painters differ from those of the basic stick painter in color choice and framework examination: More more covered mixed colors were used, which lets the pictures altogether somewhat palely and which became frameworks with flowers, climbing or balls verziert work.
Overview
The manuscript is not presented in this library as a fechtbuch. However, it does provide some pictoral clues to life in the 14th century. Of interest are the plates that depict tournaments, which in some cases have a similar "look and feel" as the I.33 manuscript. For example, plate 63 does share similar attributes to I.33 with respect to the sword & buckler and the technique illustrated. Classic tournament harness is illustrated on plate 77 depicting Ulrich von Leichtenstein. Another illustration of a tournament found in plate 8 depicts the dukes of Anhalt in a melee with swords: one of the participants is wrestling with his opponent.
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| Plate 1 | Plate 2 | Plate 3 | Plate 4 | Plate 5 |
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| Plate 6 | Plate 7 | Plate 8 | Plate 9 | Plate 10 |
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| Plate 11 | Plate 12 | Plate 13 | Plate 14 | Plate 15 |
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| Plate 16 | Plate 17 | Plate 18 | Plate 19 | Plate 20 |
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| Plate 21 | Plate 22 | Plate 23 | Plate 24 | Plate 25 |
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| Plate 26 | Plate 27 | Plate 28 | Plate 29 | Plate 30 |
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| Plate 31 | Plate 32 | Plate 33 | Plate 34 | Plate 35 |
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| Plate 36 | Plate 37 | Plate 38 | Plate 39 | Plate 40 |
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| Plate 41 | Plate 42 | Plate 43 | Plate 44 | Plate 45 |
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| Plate 46 | Plate 47 | Plate 48 | Plate 49 | Plate 50 |
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| Plate 51 | Plate 52 | Plate 53 | Plate 54 | Plate 55 |
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| Plate 56 | Plate 57 | Plate 58 | Plate 59 | Plate 60 |
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| Plate 61 | Plate 62 | Plate 63 | Plate 64 | Plate 65a |
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| Plate 65b | Plate 66 | Plate 67 | Plate 68 | Plate 69 |
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| Plate 70 | Plate 71 | Plate 72 | Plate 73 | Plate 74 |
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| Plate 75 | Plate 76 | Plate 77 | Plate 78 | Plate 79 |
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| Plate 80 | Plate 81 | Plate 82 | Plate 83 | Plate 84 |
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| Plate 85 | Plate 86 | Plate 87 | Plate 88 | Plate 89 |
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| Plate 90 | Plate 91 | Plate 92 | Plate 93 | Plate 94 |
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| Plate 95 | Plate 96 | Plate 97 | Plate 98 | Plate 99 |
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| Plate 100 | Plate 101 | Plate 102 | Plate 103 | Plate 104 |
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| Plate 105 | Plate 106 | Plate 107 | Plate 108 | Plate 109 |
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| Plate 110 | Plate 111 | Plate 112 | Plate 113 | Plate 114 |
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| Plate 115 | Plate 116 | Plate 117 | Plate 118 | Plate 119 |
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| Plate 120 | Plate 121 | Plate 122 | Plate 123 | Plate 124 |
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| Plate 125 | Plate 126 | Plate 127 | Plate 128 | Plate 129 |
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| Plate 130 | Plate 131 | Plate 132 | Plate 133 | Plate 134 |
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| Plate 135 | Plate 136 | Plate 137 | ||