Ulrich von Liechtenstein

Ulrich von Liechtenstein (c. 1200 – 26 January 1275) was a German minnesinger, poet and knight of the Middle Ages. He wrote poetry in Middle High German and was author of noted works about how knights and nobles might lead more virtuous lives. Ulrich was a member of a wealthy and influential ministerialis family from Liechtenstein in Styria. He was born about 1200 at Murau in the Duchy of Styria, now Styria, Austria.

Ulrich wrote his poetry at a time when knightly ideals were being promulgated in Western Europe. He outlines rules for knights, ministeriales, and free nobles to lead honourable and courtly lives. There are several instances where he places the (unfree) ministerials and the free nobles in one category separate from the knights to point out the nobility of his own estate.

Details of Ulrich's life are difficult to ascertain. Much of what scholars know relies heavily upon information gleaned from his often-fictional, self-styled autobiographical work the Frauendienst (trans. Service of Ladies). Separating fact from stylized hyperbole has proven difficult for historians.