Konrad von Würzburg was the most significant and versatile German author of the thirteenth century, possibly even the Middle Ages. His works stand out due to their stylistic quality, the diversity of their themes and genres, and the lasting impact they have made. This handbook is the first of its kind, bringing together texts written by a group of experts, and addresses a specialist German studies audience as well as students of German studies and neighboring medieval studies fields. It documents the rich, enduring international research that has been conducted on Konrad as well as new methodological approaches to his oeuvre. Alongside an introduction to the author’s biographical traces, this handbook comprises overarching chapters on aesthetics, and the reception and transmission of Konrad’s works, as well as individual chapters on Konrad’s verse, his shorter stories (Das Herzmaere, Heinrich von Kempten, Die halbe Birne, Der Schwanritter) and legends (Silvester, Alexius, Pantaleon), his heraldic poem (Das Turnier von Nantheiz), and Konrad's innovative allegorical poems (Die Klage der Kunst, Die goldene Schmiede, Der Welt Lohn). It also contains chapters on Konrad’s two romances (Engelhard, Partonopier und Meliur) and his great Trojanerkrieg fragment.
