Editing Minnesang (section)

==Social status==
In the absence of reliable biographical information, there has been debate about the social status of the ''Minnesänger''. Some clearly belonged to the higher [[nobility]] – the 14th-century [[Codex Manesse]] includes songs by dukes, counts, kings, and the Emperor [[Henry VI, Holy Roman Emperor|Henry VI]]. Some ''Minnesänger'', as indicated by the title ''[[Meister]]'' (master), were clearly educated commoners, such as Meister [[Konrad von Würzburg]]. It is thought that many were ''[[ministerialis|ministeriales]]'', that is, members of a class of lower nobility, [[vassal]]s of the great lords. Broadly speaking, the ''Minnesänger'' were writing and performing for their own social class at court, and should be thought of as [[courtier]]s rather than professional hired musicians. [[Friedrich von Hausen]], for example, was part of the entourage of [[Friedrich Barbarossa]], and died on [[Third Crusade|crusade]]. As a reward for his service, [[Walther von der Vogelweide]] was given a [[fief]] by the Emperor [[Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor|Frederick II]].

Several of the best-known ''Minnesänger'' are also noted for their epic poetry, among them [[Heinrich von Veldeke]], [[Wolfram von Eschenbach]] and [[Hartmann von Aue]].<ref name=":0" />