The Encyclopedia Americana (1920)/Aue, Hartmann von

AUE, Hartmann von, German poet: b. 1170; d. about 1215. He was of humble birth, being the vassal of the Lord of Aue, who took him with him in one of the crusades, either in 1189 or 1197. Very little is known of his life. Of his works ‘Erec’ is undoubtedly the best (2d ed. in High German, Halle 1855). In this epic poem, of some 10,000 lines, the Arthurian legends are first introduced into Germany. Next in importance is his ‘Gregorius von Stein,’ the material of which is drawn from French romance (Berlin 1838). His most popular work was ‘Der arme Heinrich,’ his one work which is based on German folk lore (published by the Grimm Brothers, Berlin 1815). Many editions of his works have been published in German. Consult Cassel, ‘Die Symbolik des Blutes und der arme Heinrich des Hartmann von Aue’ (Berlin 1882).