Gottfried von Strassburg

Lore & Background

Other than an origin in or close association with Strasbourg, nothing is known of his life. It would seem, however, that he was a man of good birth and position, who filled an important municipal office in his native city of Strasbourg, but since he is always referred to in German as *Meister* (master) and not *Herr* (sir), it seems safe to assume he was not a knight. *Tristan* ends abruptly, and according to the testimony of Ulrich von Türheim and Heinrich von Freiberg, two people who provided endings for *Tristan*, Gottfried died before finishing the work. His thorough familiarity with Latin literature and rhetorical theory suggest someone who had enjoyed a high level of monastic education. He also shows detailed technical knowledge of music and hunting, far beyond anything found in the works of his contemporaries. Gottfried draws more on the learned tradition of medieval humanism than on the chivalric ethos shared by his major literary contemporaries. He also appears to have been influenced by the writings of contemporary Christian mystics, in particular Bernard of Clairvaux. That his home was in Strasbourg is supported by the fact that the earliest manuscripts of *Tristan*, dating from the first half of the 13th century, show features of Alemannic and specifically Alsatian dialect.

Reader's Guide

Gottfried von Strassburg's significance rests primarily on his unfinished romance *Tristan*, a work that stands alongside the *Nibelungenlied* and Wolfram von Eschenbach's *Parzival* as a masterpiece of the German Middle Ages. His rhetorical style is very distinct among his contemporaries, marked by complex symmetrical structure, detailed word and sound patterns, and skillful use of irony for both humorous and tragic effects. While his statement of reliance on Thomas is correct, he both expanded on his source and refined the story psychologically.

Did You Know?

• Gottfried is referred to as *Meister* (master) and not *Herr* (sir), suggesting he was not a knight.
• The initial letters of quatrains in the poem form an acrostic with the names Gotefrid-Tristan-Isolde.
• The prologue's quatrains give the name Dieterich, assumed to be the name of Gottfried's patron.
• Gottfried shows detailed technical knowledge of music and hunting, far beyond his contemporaries.

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