Editions
This page gives access to the editions of selected Iwein manuscripts, with notes and variants. Items without a link are still in process of edition. We intend to publish the missing editions in the second half of 2025. Until then, minor corrections in the published editions are possible. Not all testimonies will be edited, though; those for which we have not planned an edition are listed on the bottom.
For a beginning we recommend the text of manuscript B. It’s the one followed by all modern print editions.
In order to make navigation easier, texts have been divided into 'chapters'. Although we have tried to preserve the narrative units of the texts, our division does not pretend to be a literary assessment.
Edited full texts
A – Text of the Heidelberg manuscript Cod. Pal. germ. 397, written probably in the second quarter of the 13th century. The language is a mixture of middle German and middle Low German. Karl Lachmann followed this text in his edition, but adapting it linguistically to middle High German.
B – Text of the Gießen manuscript A 97, written probably in the second quarter of the 13th century. Upper German. Contains additions that are particular to this manuscript. All modern editions follow it. We also edit the text folios added in 1531 to replace lost original pages (also known as fragment e).
D – Text of the Florence manuscript B.R. 226, from the early 14th century. Bohemian dialect with traces of Bavarian. A very clear alternative text with some interesting variants.
d – Text of the Ambraser Heldenbuch (Vienna, ÖNB, ser. Nova 2663), written between 1507 and 1516 by Hans Ried, a scribe at the chancellery of emperor Maximilian II who was given leave for this work. The language is south Bavarian. The text is mostly close to that of the older manuscripts, but it contains some remarkable variants.
a – Text of the Dresdner Handschrift M 175, from the end of the 14th century. Eastern Middle German. A version that renews the texts linguistically, but mainly is very close to manuscripts E and p.
c – Text of the Heidelberg Cod. Pal. germ. 316, copied 1477 (fol. 114r). Northern Bavarian. One of the best curated texts from the 15th century.
f – Text of the Dresden Manuscript M 65, finished in February 1415 (fol. 85va). Central Bavarian. This is probably the manuscript with the most intense linguistic reelaboration of the text and the highest number of unique variants.
l – Text of the London Manuscript Add. 19554, written around 1468 (fol. 56v). Southern Bavarian. A very clean text, which over larger streches is close to manuscript J.
Fragments
C – Munich, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, Cgm 191. Middle of 13th century. 1 leaf.
F –Linz, Oberösterreichische Landesbibliothek, Hs.-599. 2nd quarter of 13th century. 1 double leaf.
G – Nuremberg, Germanisches Nationalmuseum, Hs. 34017. Ca. 1300. 1 leaf.
H – Prague, Nationalbibliothek der Tschechischen Republik, Cod. XXIV.C.4 and Cod. XXIV.C.16. 14th century. Rests of 6 leafs.
K – olim Sigmaringen, Fürstlich Hohenzollernsche Hofbibliothek, Cod. 452. 14th century. Lost. Edited following the copy by the first owner of the fragment, Anton Birlinger.
M – Kassel, Universitätsbibliothek, Landesbibliothek und Murhardsche Bibliothek der Stadt Kassel, 2° Ms. philol. 28[3]. 14th century. Rests of 6 leafs.
N – olim Munich, Archiv des Erzbistums München und Freising, no signature. 13th/14th century. Lost. Edited following the transcription by Emil Henrici in his collations.
O – Vienna, Österreichische Nationalbibliothek, Cod. Ser. nova 316. End of 13th century. 1 double leaf.
P – Cologne, Historisches Archiv der Stadt Köln, Best. 7020 (W) 6. 2nd quarter / middle of 13th century. Filling copy of some verses on one page.
Q – Paderborn, Archiv der Deutschen Franziskanerprovinz, 6050, V / 7 k, Nr. 3. First half of 14th century. 1 leaf.
R – Private owner, Dr. Jörn Günther Rare Books AG, Schweiz, no signature. Early 14th century. 1 double leaf.
S – Vienna, Österreichische Nationalbibliothek, Cod. Ser. nova 2693. First half of 14th century. 1 double leaf.
T – Budapest, Magyar Tudományos Akadémia Könyvtár (Bibliothek der Ungarischen Akademie der Wissenschaften), Fragm. K. 549. First half of 13th century. Rests of one leaf.
U – St. Paul im Lavanttal, Stiftsbibliothek, Cod. 7/8. Middle of 13th century. Rest of 4 leafs.
V – Kremsmünster, Stiftsbibliothek, Fragm. VI/275. First quarter of 13th century. 1 leaf.
W – Enghien (Edingen/Belgien), Arenberg Foundation, no signature. End of 13th / early 14th century. 1 double leaf.
X1 – Berlin, Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin – Preußischer Kulturbesitz, Hdschr. 402. End of 13th / early 14th century. Rests of one leaf.
X2 – Klagenfurt, Universitätsbibliothek and Stiftsbibliothek Schlägl, Perg.-Hs. 63 (Klagenfurt); no signature (Schlägl). Early 14th century. Rests of 2 leafs.
Y – St. Florian, Stiftsbibliothek, fragment 51. First half (2nd quarter?) of the 13th century. Strip of a double leaf.
Not edited Manuscripts
E – Berlin, Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin – Preußischer Kulturbesitz, Ms. germ. fol. 1062. The so-called Riedegger Manuscritp, written ca. 1300. Bavarian-Austrian. It's missing the first quire with verses 1–1330 of Iwein.
J – Wien, Österreichische Nationalbibliothek, Cod. 2779. First half of the 14th century. Eastern Upper German. A big codex written in three columns.
b – Universitätsbibliothek Heidelberg, Cod. Pal. germ. 391. Ca. 1450. Southern Franconian with a few West Central German and Alemannic forms.
p – Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Allemand 115. First half of the 14th century. Central Franconian. With numerous omissions and lost pages.
r – Rostock, Universitätsbibliothek, Mss. philol. 81. Ca. 1477. Swabian with some Rhine Franconian forms.
u – Lindau, Ehemals Reichsstädtische Bibliothek (ERB), Cod. P II 61. Finished 30.11.1521 (fol. 203r). Alemannic. This is a copy of manuscript B, with a number of variants, though.
z – Nelahozeves, Lobkowicz Collections, Cod. VI Fc 26. Ca. 1464–1467. Swabian. With numerous omissions and lost pages.