Source Genre: Poetry

We owe the concept Spruchdichtung [spoken poetry] (also Sangspruch, sung speech) for a broad genre of sung religious, devotional, and Biblical didactic lyrics to Karl Simrock (1833). Scholars follow his lead in using this term to refer to poetry that can be characterized, among other things, by its relationship to everyday moral, religious and political phenomena, but also can be distinguished stylistically from courtly love poetry (Minnesang). Sangspruch participated in the shaping of attitudes via didactic and critical interventions.

Before Walther von der Vogelweide we know of only one other Spruchdichter, Spervogel. After Walther there were others, such as Reinmar von Zweter or Brother Wernher. Within the genre, Walther's work is considered to have been pioneering and to have formed the subsequent tradition. Thus the so-called 'Crown Spruch' (right column of the image) was composed in the context of the contested double-election of 1198, which pitted the Staufen prince Philip the Swabian against the Guelph [Welf] Otto IV in a struggle for the 'Roman' [German] crown. Because Walther happened to be at the court of Philip of Swabia when this poem was written, it is a partisan defence of the Staufen prince. In the first strophe, Philip appears as destined to be Emperor, and the crown seems to have been made just for him. With its help, Philip's rule is deftly elevated to cosmic status, and the other German princes are exhorted to join Philip. (The 'Wise [One/Man]' was a particular gemstone that was set at the front of the Imperial crown and has since been lost.)

On the other hand, the poems we have in this genre also bear witness to a rapid change of sides and of opinions (example: poem for Philip's opponent Otto IV in the so-called Ottenton). Such findings raise questions (for instance, who commissioned these poems, what effect did they have and how were they received, Walther's position at court, or how he understood Sangspruch and how he used it), questions that require the analysis of historical and documentary sources.