HEINRIOH
200
HEINRICH
dichtung" (in Kiirsclmer, "Deutsche National lit-
teratur ", II), pt. I, 2S7-315.
Cousult Ihe inlrodiKitions to the above-mentioned editions and Bi:ttn-er. Der Heinhari Fuchs und seine franzusische Quelle (Strasburg, 1891).
Arthur F. J. Remy.
Heinrich von Ahaus (IIendrik van Ahuis), founder of the Brethren of the Common Life in Ger- many, b. in 1371, the natural son of Ludolf, Lord of the principality of Ahaus, and Hadwigis of Schiip- pinpen; d. at Mimster, 1439. About 1396 he joined the Brethren of the Common Life at Deventer, where personal intercourse with the companions of the founder, especially Florentius Radewyns, thoroughly acquainted him with the spirit and methods of the congregation, then in its first fervour. It is probable that during the plague of 139S he left Deventer for Amersfort with Florentius, on whose death he re- turned to his native Munster to estalslish a community there. In any case the records at Munster point to 1400 as the date of foundation. The benefactions of his family enaljled Heinrich to provide generously for the new community, and in 1429 to establish it on his family estate of Springbrunnen (Ad fontem salien- tem),' where he and his companions, Ijesides contin- uing their missionary work in the diocese, applied themselves to the copying of MS. Heinricli also founded houses of the congregation at Cologne (1416), Wcsel (1435), and Osnabruck, and communities of sisters at Borcken, Kiisfeld, Lippstadt, Wescl, and Bodeken, laljouring all the while in the face of con- tinuous opposition from both priests and la>Tnen. He accompaniedJohann \'os of Huesden, rector of Windes- heim, to the Council of Constance, to refute the charges lodged against the Bretlircn Ijy the Dominican, Mut- thaus Grabow, and of which they were triiimph- antly cleared. In 142S he inaugurated the union of the Munster and Cologne houses, which was sanctioned by papal decree, a few months after his death, and ioined in 1441 by the house at Wesel. Heinricli's mflucnce was incalculable, in connexion with the training and reform of the clergy, the cause of educa- tion, the spread of religious literature, and the ad- vancement of the spiritual life among the masses of the German people.
ScHDLZE. Heinrich von Ahaus in Lulhurdls Zeitsrhri/t (1882), i. ii; Idem in Heuzog-Hauck, Umlcnri/k. fur prot, Theol.; Chronicon Wirtdeshcimensc, ed. CiRube (Halle, 1SS6).
F. M. RUDGE.
Heinrich von Laufenberg, a German poet of the fifteenth century, d. at Strasburg in 1460; he was a priest in Frciliurg (Breisgau), and later dean of the cathedral. In 1445 he entered the cloister of the Knights of St. John. He was a fertile writer in prose and verse. Among his works there is a collection of sermons, also rhymed (ierman versions of two lengthy Latin works, a "Speculum human:r salva- tionis", and the "Opus figiinirum" of Konrad von Alzei. The former version dates from 1437 and gives an accotuit of the Fall and Redemption, w'ith a munlier of Biblical and profane stories interspersed and s.vm- bolically interpreted. The other work is devoted to the glorification of the Blessed Virgin, stories of the Old Testament being explained allegorically and mystically with reference to Mary. All these works, however, liavc not come down to us, the manuscripts having been destroyed during the siege of Strasburg (1870). .V metrical German version of a Latin hy- gienic treatise called "Regimen Sanitatis" is still ex- tant. It dates from 1429. But the chief significance of Laufenberg is as a writer of religious lyrics. Some of these are renderings of I>atin hymns, while others are original poems expressix'c of his love for Jesus and Our Laily. Most nof(>worthy are his recasts of worldly lyrics and folksongs in religious form (so- called Coiilrafactii). In these he adhered as closely as possible to the form and diction of the folksong,
retaining the popular melodies, but infusing into
them a religious spirit. While most of these poems
are .simple and eft'ective, many of his original poems are
marred by a laboured artificiality, acrostics and other
metrical devices being quite common. His trans-
lations show occasional latinisnis; sometimes, too,
Latin and Cierman verses are intermingled. A mnn-
ber of liis hymns (97) are fountl in Wackernagel,
"Dasdeutsche Kirchenlied", II (Leipzig, 1S64-77),
528-612.
See MuLLER, Heinrich Laufenberg (Berlin, 1SS9).
Arthtr F. J. Remt.
Heinrich von Meissen, usually called "Feauen- lob" (woman's praise), a Middle High German lyric poet; b. at Meissen about 1250; d. at Mainz, 1318. He received a learned education, probably at the cathe<lral school of his native town. He led a wan- dering life, roving over the greater part of Germany. Poems in praise of different princes enable us to trace his travels after 1278 as far as Bohemia and Carinthia in the south and Denmark in the north. In 1311 he settled down at Mainz, where he is said to have founded the first school of Mastersingers. Tradition relates that he was borne to his grave by women. His tomb in the cathedral of Mainz was renovated in 1842 and is still to be seen. The surname "Frauenlob" is said to have lieen given to him l)ecausc in a poetic contest with the poet Barthel Regenbogen he maintained that the term Frau (in the sense of "lady", "mis- tress") was superior to Wcib (woman, as the opposite of man). But it has been shown that he had the surname when quite young and before the poetic con- test took place.
Heinrich von Meissen marks the transition from Minnesong to Mastersong; certain it is that the later Mastersingers looked to him as their model. He has written a great many lyric jioems on a wide range of subjects, theological, ethical, erotic, and didactic or gnomic. Many of these poems sing the praises of women, matritnony especially being exalted. As a poet he lacks insjjiration and spontaneity; his lyrics are the proiluct of learning and reflection, and excel chiefly on the formal side. The artificialit}^ of their form renders most of them unpalatable to modern readers, while the excessive use of far-fetched meta- phors and the fretiuent occurrence of learned allusions tend to ob.scurity that at times verges on the unin- telligible, as, for instance, in his poem in honour of the Blessed Virgin. He i.s at his best in the Sprvcli or gnomic poem. His poems were edited by Ettmiiller, " Heinrichs von Meissen des Frauenlobes Leiche, Spriiche, Streitgedichte und Lieder" (Quedlinburg- Leipzig, 1843). Selections were edited by Pfaff in Kiu-schner's, "Deutsche National litteratur", VIII, pt. 1, pp. 234-2.39.
See the introduction and note.s to the editions mentioned above: also Boehckel, Frauenlob, Sein Leben und Dichten (Mainz, 2nd cd., ISSl). For comments on particular poems and passages, see Bech in Germania, XX\'I, 257 sq.. 379 sq.; XXIX, 1 sq.
Arthttr F. J. Remy.
Heinrich von Melk, German satirist of the twelfth century; of knightly birth and probably a lay brother in the convent of Melk, in Styria. His chief work is a poem " Von des todes gchuge<le" (the remembrance of death), a discourse on the theme memento mori. It is a bitter invective against the vices and sins of all classes, especially of knighthood, .\fter an intro- duction wherein the poet explains how the depravity of his age has incited him to his task, he turns to his real suljjcct, the contemplation of death, the liorrors of which are portrayed in glaring contrast with the vanity of earthly life. Concrete examples are sum- moned up. .\ wife is brought to the bier of her de- ceased spouse, and the ugliness of death is depicted with hideous realism. A son sees his dead father in
