farfel_n03_167_212

The work was commisioned by Maximilian I to commemorate
his wooing of Maria of Burgundy.
Maggs Cat. #500 Emperor Maximilian had a considerable share in the
composition of the poem + in fact had made first
drafts in 1505-8; and by 1512 with the assistance of
Dietrichstein, a large part of the work was already
written. The finishing + general editing was then
undertaken by Maximilian's private secretary M. Pfintzing
#163 Quartich Cat. Ref Z999 Q19 - The poem was written by M. Pfintzing between 1512+16
for the delight + instruction of the young King of Spain
(afterwards Emperor Charles V) from the papers of the
Emperor Maximilian's secretary, which are supposed
to have been dictated or inspired by the Emperor himself.
NY Public Lib, 1517 - one of about 40 copies printed on velum +
presented to individuals - cuts hand colored in this copy.

HEHL 99912 1519 ed. - my leaf is L5 in this ed on paper
L4 opposite had woodcut #105

The earliest German printer had used a Gothic type known as texture
Later - somewhat rounded Gothic form - rotunda. The standard
rotunda was know as Schwabacker - replaced in the
mid 16th C by a narrow + pointed Gothic called Fraktur +
the Teuerdank played a major role in this trend
based on the letters found in the MSS writing books
(1507-11) of L. Wagner of Augsburg.
Velum copies printed after paper copies
shows orthographical changes.
Pento Press p. 186 Z121 H6 Stanford
- An epic chivalric romance, the Theuerdank has as its hero the
ideal or "true" knight who confronts every evil + emerges victorius
Most important the true knight outwiths his 3 foes - Unfallo
or misfortune, Furwittig or pertness + Neidelhard or envy
generally seen as Maximilian's enemies in Italy, the
Netherlands + Germany.