Literarhistorische reflexionen in der Barockliteratur interesse an und widerstand gegen das Mittelalter als medium der poetischen selbstidentifikation (Daniel Casper von lohenstein, Christian Hoffmann von Hoffmannswaldau)

Whereas until recently the common assumption was that there were hardly any traces of the Middle Ages in seventeenth-century literature, the careful analysis of a selection of texts by Daniel Casper von Lohenstein and Hoffmann von Hoffmannswaldau proves to be effective enough to develop new perspectives in this regard. It would be erroneous to assume that either one of them had any solid or comprehensive knowledge of medieval literature, but the evidence presented her proves that they were much more aware of older texts and medieval history in general terms than we have thought previously. Especially Hoffmannswaldau reflected extensively and critically upon the European literature of the Middle Ages, whereas Lohenstein primarily used historical material for his own contemporary concerns.