Step into the vibrant cultural landscape of the High Middle Ages! This course invites students to read German texts written between 1100 and 1500 in their original language. We'll master the essentials of Middle High German (MHG) grammar and dive into iconic narrative works - including courtly romances, heroic epics, lyric poetry, drama, and mysticism. Alongside classics, we'll explore lesser-known texts that have never been edited or translated into a modern language, offering a rare opportunity to work with "new" primary materials. MHG is useful for students of the western European Middle Ages, Yiddish, and other earlier Germanic languages and literatures. It also provides a historical foundation for the study of modern German.
3-5 units · Letter or Credit/No Credit
Step into the vibrant cultural landscape of the High Middle Ages! This course invites students to read German texts written between 1100 and 1500 in their original language. We'll master the essentials of Middle High German (MHG) grammar and dive into iconic narrative works - including courtly romances, heroic epics, lyric poetry, drama, and mysticism. Alongside classics, we'll explore lesser-known texts that have never been edited or translated into a modern language, offering a rare opportunity to work with "new" primary materials. MHG is useful for students of the western European Middle Ages, Yiddish, and other earlier Germanic languages and literatures. It also provides a historical foundation for the study of modern German.
Offered in Winter 2026 at Stanford University.