Wernher der Gartenaere

Wernher der Gartenaere was a German poet active around 1250, known for his realistic medieval epic poem, Meier Helmbrecht. This work is notable for its depiction of the decline of chivalry, where knights resorted to robbery and peasants challenged their lords.1

The poem tells the story of Helmbrecht, a peasant who desires a knightly life over farming. His family finances his entry into the service of a robber knight. He returns home with stolen wealth and arranges a marriage for his sister with a member of his gang. The celebration is cut short when the gang is apprehended, leading to the hanging of nine members. Helmbrecht is blinded and maimed, and ultimately rejected by his father, he is eventually caught and hanged by peasants.1

Wernher der Gartenaere wrote the poem in the region of the Austrian-Bavarian border.1