Johannes Liechtenauer

Johannes Liechtenauer

Johannes Liechtenauer (also spelled Lichtenauer) was a 14th century German fencing master. He was likely born in the early to mid 1300s, possibly in Lichtenau, Mittelfranken (Franconia). What little is known about his person is preserved, together with his teachings, in MS 3227a and later glossa by students of his tradition. According to this manuscript's author, Lichtenauer was a "great master" who had travelled to "many lands" to learn his art. In later, 15th century manuscripts, the Liechtenauer's society ("Gesellschaft Liechtenauers") is referred to as a group of fencing masters who considered themselves Liechtenauer's disciples, in possession of his teachings. The term is attested by Paulus Kal in the 1460s, and probably fell out of use in the late 15th century with the rise of the St. Mark's brotherhood.

Liechtenauer's teachings are preserved partly in rhyming couplets (possibly intentionally obscured, in order to prevent the uninitiated from learning the techniques he presented, and perhaps to offer a system of mnemonic devices to those who did understand). Liechtenauer's system gave rise to what is now called the German school of swordsmanship. It was commented on, expanded and modified in glossa contained in Fechtbücher throughout the 15th century, by masters including Hanko Doebringer, Sigmund Ringeck, and Peter von Danzig, and continued in the 16th century, e.g. by Paulus Hector Mair and Joachim Meyer. It became in fact almost compulsory for any self-respecting fencing master to present himself as standing in the Liechtenauer tradition, even if the influence is sometimes tenuous, or some elements in outright conflict with certain tenets of Liechtenauer's.

Already in Liechtenauer's time, instruction in combat ("Fechten") was not restricted to a single weapon, but what was taught was rather a variety of techniques for using the longsword, sword and buckler, dagger, messer, and for unarmed grappling in both armoured and unarmoured combat, and sometimes also in mounted combat.

Lichtenauer's society

By the mid 15th century, it was prestigious for a fencing master to claim to stand in the tradition of Liechtenauer. Paulus Kal (Cgm 1507, 1460) gives a list of 17 masters as belonging to the "society of Liechtenauer", including, apart from himself
*Peter Wildigans von Glacz.
*Peter von Tanczk (Danzig)
*Hanns Spindler von Cznaym (Znojmo)
*Lamprecht von Prag
*Hanns Seydenfaden von Erfurt
*Andre Liegniczer
*Iacob Liegniczer, brother of Andreas
*Sigmund Amring (Ringeck?)
*Hartman von Nurenberg
*Martein Hunczfeld
*Hanns Pägmitzer
*Phylips Perger
*Virgily von Kracau
*Dietherich Degenvechter von Braunschweig
*Ott Jud, wrestling master of Austria
*Stettner, Kal's own teacher

ee also

*German school of swordsmanship
*Historical European Martial Arts

External links

* [http://www.myarmoury.com/feature_arms_gls.html Call to Arms: The German Longsword] by Bill Grandy
* [http://www.thearma.org/Manuals/Dobringer_A5_sidebyside.pdf Cod.HS.3227a] - Hanko Döbringer fechtbuch from 1389. Translation and transcription by David Lindholm and associates.


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно сделать НИР?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Johannes Liechtenauer — Maître d escrime assis, probablement représentant Liechtenauer, fol. 2v du traité de combat de Peter von Danzig (1452) …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Johannes Liechtenauer — Posible retrato de Johannes Liechtenauer en el Códice 44 A 8 de Dantzig, 1452 Johannes Liechtenauer (también escrito Lichtenauer) fue un instructor de esgrima alemana durante el siglo XIV. Probablemente nació a principios o… …   Wikipedia Español

  • Johannes Liechtenauer — Sitzender Fechtmeister, der vermutlich Lichtenauer darstellen soll , in Danzigs Cod. 44 A 8 , 2v (von 1452) Johannes Liechtenauer war ein deutscher Fechtmeister des 14. Jahrhunderts und ist eine der zentralen Figuren in der Geschichte des… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Liechtenauer Fechter — Dreynschlag ist die Schaukampfgruppe des Vereins der „Liechtenauer Fechter,“ die seit 1997 besteht. Der Name ist ein Kunstwort und leitet sich aus einem Zitat von Johannes Liechtenauer ab, das lautet „Haw stark und fest dreyn“. Der Verein wurde… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Johannes Lecküchner — (ca. 1430s ndash;1482) was a 15th century priest and fencer of the area of Nuremberg. He was inscribed at the University of Leipzig in 1455 and receives the title of bacalaureus in 1457. He was consecrated as acolyte in 1459, and as priest at… …   Wikipedia

  • Johann Liechtenauer — Sitzender Fechtmeister, der vermutlich Lichtenauer darstellen soll , in Danzigs Cod. 44 A 8 , 2v (von 1452) Johann(es) Liechtenauer war ein deutscher Fechtmeister des 14. Jahrhunderts und ist eine der zentralen Figuren in der Geschichte des… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • German school of fencing — page of Mscr. Dresd. C 93 by Paulus Hector Mair (1540s) Also known as Deutsche Fechtschule, German Swordsmanship, Kunst des Fechtens Focus longsword, messer, dagger, polearms, grappling …   Wikipedia

  • Europäischer Schwertkampf — Bild aus dem Codex Wallerstein: Fechter mit diversen Waffen (15. Jahrhundert) Als Europäischer Schwertkampf wird die historische Kampfkunst bezeichnet, welche dem mittelalterlichen und frühmodernen Fechten mit Schwertern in Europa zugrunde liegt …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Historical European martial arts — Historical Fencing redirects here. For the history of fencing in general, see history of fencing. The first page of the Codex Wallerstein shows the typical arms of 15th century individual combat, including the longsword, roundel dagger, sword and …   Wikipedia

  • Nürnberger Handschrift GNM 3227a — The codex Nürnberger Handschrift GNM 3227a (169 folia) is a manuscript dating from around 1389, preserved today in the Germanisches Nationalmuseum in Nuremberg (Nürnberg). It is frequently attributed to Hanko Döbringer. It contains recipes for a… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”