Michael Beheim, Poems

Michel Beheim (born 1416 and 1421 in Sülzbach near Weinsberg, Germany, murdered 1474/78) was one of the most important Upper German professional singers and proverb poets. Like his father, he first learnt the weaving trade, then joined Konrad von Weinsberg as a singer and poet, and after his death he appeared as a professional poet at almost all the German Empire's large courts.

In addition to three strophic chronicles, Beheim wrote about 450 songs in eleven preserved melodies, which can be dated between 1449 and 1474: religious songs, songs on general moral and ethical issues, political and autobiographical songs, love songs, songs on the conception and practice of art. One special feature are their headings, which provide insight into the circumstances of how they were created and performed. The songs have been preserved in three complete manuscripts, of which the Heidelberg manuscripts are Beheim's autographs.

The Munich manuscript Cgm 291 was written by Jörg von Clein and corrected by Beheim.

To the digitised copy