Hartmann von Aue, Iwein

William McDonald (University of Virginia)

Ed. by Gerhard P. Knapp, University of Utah
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.4.1: German-language Writing and Culture: Germany, 500-present.
Vol. editors: Nicole Kennedy (University of Newcastle), Gerhard P. Knapp (University of Utah), Jennifer Marston William (Purdue University), Herbert Rowland (Purdue University), Jill E. Twark (East Carolina University)

Dates

First circulation or publication 1203

Places

Germany (Country of Origin)

Genres and Modes

Poetry (any)
Romance

Resources

Iwein (ca. 1203) is – by scholarly consensus – the second and final Arthurian romance by Hartmann von Aue, and perhaps his final work. Some 25 manuscripts have come down to us, about the same number as the Tristan (q. v.) of Gottfried von Strassburg, making Iwein one of the most popular texts of the German Middle Ages. Celtic fairy legends nourish its plotline. Shorter by some 2,000 verses than his Erec, Hartmann's Iwein can profitably be read alongside its predecessor. Both romances derive in large measure from Chrétien de Troyes; both involve King Arthur and his court, who provide a temporary abode, not the ultimate destination of the hero; both relate the adventures of knightly protagonists who must learn – painfully and with many missteps – moderation, true courtesy, service to humanity and how...

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1687 words

Citation: McDonald, William . "Iwein". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 03 October 2006 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=14000, accessed 07 December 2025.]

Hartmann von Aue, Iwein

Dates

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Genres and Modes

Resources

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