Gottfried von Strassburg, author of the most significant Middle High German Tristan poem created around 1210. The author's name is only preserved through later Middle High German poets. No biographical details are known. It remains unclear whether the epithet "von Strassburg" refers to his place of origin or residence (or both). In the manuscripts, Gottfried is usually referred to as "Meister" (Magister), indicating his Latin education. Since he does not appear as "Herr," it is assumed that he comes from a non-noble background. A connection to the patriciate of Strasbourg is suggested, within which the patron Dieterich, mentioned in an acrostic in the prologue, is also believed to be encoded. Gottfried relied on a French source, the Tristan of "Thômas von Britanje" (Thomas d'Angleterre), a courtly version of the story created around 1170, which has only been preserved in fragments. The distinctive feature of the German poem includes, on one hand, the...