Helmbrecht von Wernher dem Gärtner

At first glance, the verse novella ‘Helmbrecht’ by Wernher the Gardener, written around 1280, appears to be a text about social and family order. However, beneath the surface lies a moral and theological message that corresponds to the fourth commandment and the wisdom literature of the Old Testament. The plot, the characters, the major and minor text structures can be interpreted as religiously motivated. The approach of the study not only offers „Helmbrecht“ researchers further approaches. It can also be a stimulus to investigate deeper moral and theological traces in other medieval texts that initially appear ‘secular’.