Hartmann von Aue

Hartmann von Aue (c. 1160–1220) was a German knight, poet, and one of the foremost epic poets of Middle High German literature alongside Wolfram von Eschenbach and Gottfried von Straßburg. Born into the lower Swabian nobility, he received a monastic education and served as a retainer at Aue, likely Obernau on the River Neckar, and participated in the Crusade of 1197. His key works include the Arthurian romances Erec and Iwein, as well as Gregorius and Der arme Heinrich, introducing courtly romance to German literature.[1][2][5]