Der mittelalterliche und der neuzeitliche Walther. Beiträge zu Motivik, Poetik, Überlieferungsgeschichte und Rezeption. Edited by Thomas Bein. Walther-Studien, 5. New York, Bern: Peter Lang, 2007. $59.95.

The selection of Walther von der Vogelweide as the subject of an entire series (Walther-Studien) as inaugurated five years ago, has proven to be enormously fruitful. This fifth volume complements the previous ones in its offering of several careful studies, although here the parameters are broader, raising the question of the contemporary image of Walther. The diverse contributions address the past, present, and future of Walther studies to show that the history of Walther reception is important for understanding the formation of German cultural identity right into the twentieth century and that his poetry has only recently lost its appeal with the educated public. The second half of the volume re-examines issues concerning textual variants and theoretical approaches to narrative by applying them to Walther's songs.