Georg Rüxner Turnierbuch Handschrift des 17

The ''Thurnierbuch'' ("tournament book"), published in 1530, is an important work on the tradition of medieval tournaments in the

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire was a political entity in Western, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its dissolution in 1806 during the Napoleonic Wars. From the accession of Otto I in 962 ...

. The full title of the book was ''ThurnierBuch. Von Anfang, Vrsachen, vrsprung, vnd herkommen der Thurnier im heyligen Römischen Reich Teutscher Nation'' "Tournament Book: about the beginning, cause, source and origin of the tournament in the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation". It was written by Georg Rüxner (also ''Rixner''; ''Georg Rixner, genendt Hierosalem Eraldo und Konig der Wappen''). Next to nothing is known about Rüxner's biography. He was presumably a Bavarian herold, possibly identical with the imperial herold of Maximilian I depicted by

Hans Burgkmair Hans Burgkmair the Elder (1473–1531) was a German painter and woodcut printmaker. Background Hans Burgkmair was born in Augsburg, the son of painter Thomas Burgkmair. His own son, Hans the Younger, later became a painter as well. From 1488, Bu ...

in two woodcuts dated 1504 and 1507. In 1519, Rüxner was present at the election of Charles V. In Nuremberg city records, he is mentioned as royal herold in 1525/6. He is also the author of a number of genealogical works, including on the dukes of Mecklenburg Rüxner's tournament book of 1530 was highly successful, but its partly unfounded claims were criticized even by contemporaries; Froben Christoph von Zimmern relied heavily on Rüxner's book for the

Zimmern Chronicle The Zimmern Chronicle (German: ''Zimmerische Chronik'' or ''Chronik der Grafen von Zimmern'') is a family chronicle describing the lineage and history of the noble family of Zimmern, based in Meßkirch, Germany. It was written in a Swabian varie ...

. The ''Thurnierbuch'' contains detailed descriptions of 36 tournaments supposedly held between 938 and 1487, including full lists of participants. Rüxner is the origin of the tradition that the imperial tournaments in Germany were established by

Henry the Fowler Henry the Fowler (german: Heinrich der Vogler or '; la, Henricus Auceps) (c. 876 – 2 July 936) was the Duke of Saxony from 912 and the King of East Francia from 919 until his death in 936. As the first non- Frankish king of East Francia, ...

but it is now widely accepted that the first 14 tournaments in his list are unhistorical invention. His account of imperial tournaments during the 15th century, however, may be treated as mostly historical, and Rüxner is thus an important source on the details of tournament rules and practices in Germany during the late medieval period. The ''Thurnierbuch'' was reprinted in Frankfurt by Sigmund Feyerabend in 1578 or 1579. This Frankfurt edition was in turn the source for a number of manuscript copies made in the early 17th century. Rüxner's ''floruit'' spans the first three decades of the 16th century, and it is possible that he published early versions of his work prior to the surviving 1530 edition. Works that may reflect such earlier works by Rüxner were published by Marx Würsung in 1518 and by Ludwig von Eyb the Younger in c. 1525.''Turnierbuch'', BSB Cgm 961

References

* . * W. Wagner (ed.), ''Georg Rixner: Turnierbuch, Reprint der Prachtausgabe Simmern 1530'', Verlag E.& U. Brockhaus, Solingen, 1997, {{ISBN, 3-930132-08-7

External links

Digitized Edition of Rüxner's tournament book 'Thurnierbuch' from 1530
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E-rara.ch
Medieval tournament 1530 books