In Schmalkalden lies a treasure hidden in the cellar of a medieval house – a series of murals depicting the romantic epos of Iwein.
In the first half of the 13th century 26 frescoes were painted in the cellar of a large house in Scmalkalden presenting the romantic story of the knight Iwein. The show scenes from the Iwein-epos by Hartmann von Aue (born c. 1160-70, died c. 1210-20). This was based on Yvain, the Knight of the Lion, an epic poem by Chrétien de Troyes.
Unfortunately the murals are in such a bad shape, that visits are no longer allowed. Damp surroundings oozing salt make the situation extremely complicated for conservators to handle. Instead the city has had a complete copy made (1:1) in the cellar of the church in the nearby castle. This copy is open for visitors from April to October.
However, currently the house is undergoing heavy restoration in order to be ready for the celebrations of the 500-year anniversary of the reformation. In connection with this conservators are exploring the possibility of creating a kind of secure glass-tunnel for visitors to enter, thus giving at least minor groups the possibility of seeing the treasure.
Hessenhof was built in the beginning of the 13th century. It served as the administrative centre for the Counts of Thüringen and later Hessen. As such it was the site for St. Elisabeth, when she said farewell to her husband, who was going on a crusade.
In the 16th century it served as the house in which the protestant leaders met to agree upon the so-called Schmalkaldic articles, also called the book of concord. Martin Luther had written the text, but was not able to take part in the proceedings. A less controversial text was agreed upon, but the articles in their Lutheran forma continued to play a significant role as they were both circulated and widely read. Subsequently, they were included in the book of Concord (1580).
The copy of the murals may be enjoyed at Museum Schloss Wilhelmsburg.
Recently a scholarly meeting was held in Schmalkalden studying the context of the murals. The proceedings are currently being processed for publication.
SOURCE:
READ MORE:
Der Schmalkaldener Iwein
By Susanne Hafner
In: Visualisierungsstrategien in mittelalterlichen Bildern und Texten, By Horst Wenzel, C. Stephen Jaeger (Ed), Erich Schmidt Verlag 2006., pp. 90 – 98