It is often rather difficult to assess the full quality and importance of a literary text; there might be different opinions by the audience and the scholars; a text might not have been read much when it had appeared in print or in manuscript form; or it might not have even made it into the literary annals for a variety of reasons. For instance, there are many examples of literary works that did not appeal to their contemporaries but that are regarded today with considerable respect because research has recognized their value only a long time after they had been created or were published, such as in the case of Wolfram von Eschenbach’s

fragment (ca. 1220), which has survived in only three manuscripts. Most dramatically, the entire body of medieval literature was mostly forgotten…

1916 words

Citation: Classen, Albrecht. "Die Historia von den sieben weisen Meistern". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 27 July 2021 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=40541, accessed 23 November 2024.]