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The phenomenon of game is, as we have learned recently, a critical component of medieval and early modern courtly society. But ‘game’ was more than the term seems to imply since all of courtly culture was predicated on the ludic element, whether chess or falconing, golfing or wrestling. This article examines both literary and art-historical evidence from medieval Germany and medieval Spain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents discussion of the discipline and methodology of 16th-century German historical scholarship and research as of 2009 and reflects on possible changes which could occur within the field in the following 40 years. Details are particularly given noting the beginnings of a paradigm shift in literary studies outside of the traditional dialectic of the Protestant-Catholic conflict. Several changing elements in literary scholarship are highlighted, such as the examination of popular music, and travel literature. Predictions are offered suggesting the field will broaden to include a wider diversity of themes.

The meaning of space with respect to human beings finds vivid expression in literary texts throughout world history. But even though literary protagonists travel on a regular basis and thus experience themselves and the reality around them quite dramatically, space remained a rather vague dimension far throughout the Middle Ages. By the fifteenth century, however, we recognize a noteworthy paradigm shift regarding the perception and relevance of space as a relevant entity determining the individual's life, as reflected by poets and writers across Europe. After reviewing how most medieval poets dealt with space, this phenomenon is then discussed particularly in light of Eleonore of Austria's Pontus und Sidonia (ca. 1450-1460), where the western world of Europe in its geo-political dimension emerges perhaps more clearly than ever before and where space in concrete geo-political terms matters significantly, setting a new tone which would lead over to the early modern age and facilitated an astounding popularity of this novel far into the eighteenth century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the distinction between sex and gender with the use of the late-medieval German verse narrative. In the Middle Paleolithic cultures, gender roles have been influenced by the social conditions and norms. However, the late-medieval German verse narrative shows that the gender roles change simultaneously with the social and economic conditions.

The article provides information on the significance of translation in German studies. It presents the insights of Albrecht Classen from the University of Arizona on the importance of translation in studying Medieval German literature. Classen notes that any translated text can never substitute the beauty and individuality of the original language. Moreover, it features the views of Ann Marie Rasmussen of Duke University which points out that every translation sacrifices the aspects of the original work of art's complexity. In addition, Guy Stern of Wayne State University discusses his experience of translating the short stories of German writer Susanna Piontek.

The article presents public opinion on the importance of literature in German studies. Jane V. Curran of Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia believes that discipline is needed in learning a language. Albrecht Classen of the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona stresses that the centrality of literature is not an issue in the current culture war. John Blair of the State University of West Georgia in Carrollton, Georgia states that Literature Studies must be given importance.

The article discusses the letters of writer Margareta von Schwangau, wife of German lyric poet Oswald von Wolkenstein. It emphasizes her letters for her husband, children and other people of her geographical region. It notes that her private letters were expressions of her innermost emotions and concerns as well as firsthand documents of a remarkable woman's life in the early fifteenth century. Furthermore, it mentions that her letters were considered to be noteworthy documentation for the history of women of the period and dated from a time which has been virtually ignored by scholars of epistolary literature.

The article focuses on the philosophy of scholar/scientist Katherine Arens regarding the postmodern literary scholarship in Germany. Arens rightly emphasizes two most troublesome factors in postmodern literary scholarship. First, increasingly scholars resort on theoretical approaches as a support for their work without checking the validity of those theories. Second, they address subjects far outside the traditional scope of literary scholarship and still claim authority without having gained the necessary academic training.