Walther von der Vogelweide (circa 1170, birthplace unknown; around 1230, possibly in Würzburg) is considered the most significant German-speaking lyric poet of the Middle Ages. About 500 stanzas in over 110 melodies or, thematically grouped, 90 songs (Minnelieder) and 150 sayings are attributed to him; additionally, there is a religious lay, which, depending on the interpretation, can be considered either a Trinity or a Marian lay. Thus, Walther's body of work is among the most extensive in German medieval literature, alongside Neidhart and Frauenlob. By the 13th century, he was already one of the earliest role models and later became one of the twelve old masters of the Meistersinger. The largest collection of Walther's poems is found in the so-called Great Heidelberg Song Manuscript, a magnificent manuscript created around 1300, possibly for the Zurich audience.