Hans Sachs (1494–1576) is the most powerful German-language author of the 16th century with a body of work comprising more than 6200 songs. In recent decades, research on his rhyme and song poetry has been limited to individual studies and shorter summaries. At first, this volume presents the poetological foundations of his work. Sachs' own highly developed awareness of forms, genres, and themes sets the starting point for a presentation of his poetry according to text types in their sources, processing patterns, and in their direction in Nuremberg, which was becoming Protestant, and Germany. The different medial realizations in writing, picture and imagery, reading and singing give a diversified face to the texts from ancient, biblical and medieval tradition, which are made accessible here in an overview and by examples.

Schüler und Mitarbeiter, Freunde und Kollegen ehren mit diesem Band Horst Brunner, Inhaber des Lehrstuhls für deutsche Philologie an der Universität Würzburg. Durch seine wissenschaftlichen und wissenschaftsorganisatorischen Leistungen hat er wie wenige andere Altgermanisten seiner Generation die Entwicklung des Faches gefördert. Die Beiträge der Festschrift spiegeln die Breite von Horst Brunners wissenschaftlichem Oeuvre, das „Vom Mittelalter zur Neuzeit“ reicht, vom Althochdeutschen über Lyrik und Epik des Mittelalters und der Frühen Neuzeit bis in die neuere deutsche Literatur und zur Wissenschaftsgeschichte. Aufgegriffen werden wichtige Bereiche von Horst Brunners Schaffen: etwa die Lieddichtung von Minnegesang und Kreuzzugslyrik bis zum Meistergesang, mittelhochdeutsche Romane und Heldenepen, Trojastoff und Kriegsthematik, Wittenwilers „Ring“ und Hans Sachs. Daneben sind auch Beiträge zur Lehr- und Märendichtung, zur Unsinns- und Rätseldichtung, zur Fachliteratur, zur mittelalterlichen Geschichte, zur deutschen Sprachgeschichte, zur neueren deutschen Literatur, zur Mittelalterrezeption und zur Wissenschaftsgeschichte vertreten.

„An indispensable basic work, even for future generations of scholars. A treasure trove not only for literary scholars, but also for Lied researchers, theologians, historians, motif researchers, cultural studies scholars, folklorists, etc. The work also provides a paradigm for reference works, which in particular can be used to explore the exuberant literary tradition of the Early Modern Age.” Prof. Dr. Johannes Janota The »Repertorium« provides an inventory of about 17,500 mostly unpublished texts of a poetic and musical tradition which was vivid from the end of the 12th to the end of the 18th century. The description of manuscripts and early prints and of forms and contents of the texts are made accesible by several indexes.

„An indispensable basic work, even for future generations of scholars. A treasure trove not only for literary scholars, but also for Lied researchers, theologians, historians, motif researchers, cultural studies scholars, folklorists, etc. The work also provides a paradigm for reference works, which in particular can be used to explore the exuberant literary tradition of the Early Modern Age.” Prof. Dr. Johannes Janota The »Repertorium« provides an inventory of about 17,500 mostly unpublished texts of a poetic and musical tradition which was vivid from the end of the 12th to the end of the 18th century. The description of manuscripts and early prints and of forms and contents of the texts are made accesible by several indexes.