Der Arme Heinrich von Hartmann von Aue

<p><i>Der arme Heinrich</i> (Poor Henry) is a Middle High German verse narrative written by Hartmann von Aue one of the most prominent German poets of the High Middle Ages. The story revolves around a wealthy and noble knight Heinrich who is struck by leprosy. He learns that he can only be cured by the heart's blood of a virgin who willingly sacrifices herself for him. After a long search a young peasant girl offers herself moved by compassion. However as she is about to be sacrificed Heinrich is overcome with guilt and begs God to spare her life choosing to live with his disease rather than cause her death. His faith is rewarded and he is miraculously cured.</p><p>Hartmann's work is notable for its exploration of themes such as divine grace self-sacrifice and the conflict between earthly and spiritual values. The tale reflects the social and religious ideals of the medieval period while also offering a profound meditation on human nature and the power of compassion. This edition offers readers access to a cornerstone of medieval German literature.</p><p>This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore you will see the original copyright references library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world) and other notations in the work.</p><p>This work is in the public domain in the United States of America and possibly other nations. Within the United States you may freely copy and distribute this work as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.</p><p>As a reproduction of a historical artifact this work may contain missing or blurred pages poor pictures errant marks etc. Scholars believe and we concur that this work is important enough to be preserved reproduced and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.</p>