I 
Haertel—Social Conditions in Southern Bavaria. 1057 
SOCIAL CONDITIONS IN SOUTHERN BAVARIA IN THE 
THIRTEENTH CENTURY, AS SHOWN 
IN MEIER HELMBRECHT. 
Martin H. Haertel. 
“Meier Helmbrecht,” an epic poem 1934 lines in length, 
was written by Wernher der Gartenaere, a Bavarian, about 
1250. 1 The problem which it treats,—the country boy who is 
dissatisfied with the humdrum life, the toil and monotony of 
farm work, the unostentatious clothing and simple manners of 
his family, and who longs for more of the brilliancy and ex¬ 
citement of a larger world—is strangely similar to one of our 
twentieth century questions. The course pursued by the thir- 
tenth century boy may be considered by some as being not es¬ 
sentially unlike the methods of the twentieth century youth; 
while the latter goes to the big city and endeavors to develop 
into a captain of industry, the former goes to the nearest court 
and casts in his lot with the robber knights. The conclusions 
of our author are the same as the teachings of our moralists: 
“Stay on the farm with your father and live in peace and con¬ 
tentment/’ 
A careful investigation by Heinz 2 has located the scene on 
the Inn; that is, on the present boundary between Bavaria and 
1 W. Stower places the date at 1246 (Cf. “Das Kulturhistorische im 
Meier Helmbrecht von Wernher dem Gartner.” Bochum, 1891.) He 
argues from internal evidence, and his conclusions must be accepted 
with some reserve. 
2 Cf. Friedrich Keinz, Helmbrecht und seine Heimat, Leipzig, 1887, 
pp. 6 ff. A map accompanies his demonstration. 
